Love Me Forever
by foreverXabby
Summary: Hailey Ellis isn't a normal human. she has her own supernatural secrets. now, she's back in Mystic Falls after 2 years, and when she meets Damon Salvatore, she falls for him. but Damon's got his own secrets, and one is just bound to break her heart. Damon/OC
1. prologue

(_Sometime in the future_)

Death.

It was something I was used to.

Everyone around me was dying, everyone I knew. My dad, Elena's parents, the Founding Family kids, and now I would join them in the afterlife.

I knew that if I stayed in California, I wouldn't be dying right now. But then, my friends would have died, and I never would have met Damon. No matter all the heartache and pain he caused me, I don't regret meeting him, and falling in love with him.

I would never, ever regret that.

As I lay there on the ground, the bullet in my chest burning, my blood slowly and painfully spilling from my body, just waiting to die, all I could think about was Damon.

I was dying for him, and, no matter what he said, he was worth it. He was worth anything.

I moaned out in pain, as I slowly died in agony. I guess I deserved this, after all the shit I've done, all the people I've hurt, I deserved this pain and suffering.

I guess Victoria was right, all the Ellis women who were "gifted" this curse, would end up dead, and not painlessly either. Of course Victoria was a psycho who murdered two family members, but that's beside the point.

I knew I had little time left until I would finally die, and I wish it would come faster. I hated the feelings that I was feeling. Besides the obvious physical pain that was taking me over, I also had to deal with the emotional pain that had tears gushing out my eyes; anger and betrayal. I still shocked me that no matter how close we weren't, she would still do that to me. I'm glad Damon killed her.

Short breaths escaped my mouth, and it became painful to breathe. This was it; I was going to heaven, or hell. Depends on how merciful god would be feeling. Maybe I saved enough people to land a spot in heaven. Or maybe I would just wander about in limbo, watching as my friends moved on and grew up.

I started gasping, which soon turned into coughing, and blood started splattering all over the place. Tears came down, which were now tinted red. I was crying because of the pain, but not because of dying. I had almost died more times than I can count. It was about time I ran out of lives.

I was also crying because of Damon. We were so close to our forever. Things were just getting better between him and Stefan. I couldn't even imagine how my death will affect that. But, I also was a little upset because I would never see him again. He would never know how much I loved him.

I would never be able to see his infamous smirk on his lips ever again, or that sexy thing he does with his eyes, or when I'm in his arms I feel so safe, when he's supposed to be so dangerous. I would never be able to see his smile -which was so rare- or feel his touch, or his kiss, have his arms around me, or feel his bite… and the sex. God, I would miss the sex.

I would miss him. I would miss the good things and the bad, because I loved him more than anything, heart and soul.

So as my spirit left my body, I whispered so softly, I barely heard it, "I love you so much..." my voice hoarse.

And with those words, I close my eyes. And then I, Hailey Ellis, died.


	2. she's back, baby

*Chapter one**

**She's back, baby**

*Hailey*

I kept bouncing on the backseat of my mother's car, while repeating "I'm coming home," like it was my mantra. _I'm coming home. I'm coming home. I'm coming home._

"Hailey, stop that!" my mother snapped from the driver's seat.

I rolled my eyes, but didn't stop. Not even she could kill my buzz right now.

She glared at me through the rearview mirror with hatred in her eyes. Shrugged to myself, it was no secret my mom and I didn't get along. I tried, for so long I tried to be the daughter she wanted. But once I realized it was no use, I stopped trying.

It was moments like this that I missed my dad. He would always diffuse the tension between my mom and I. he was the caring parent, the one who loved me unconditionally like a parent should.

God, I missed him.

We moved to California two years ago, when he died in a car crash. I didn't want to, I wanted to be with my friends, and stay in the only place I had memories of him. But the royal bitch herself made us move, and since she had custody of me, there was nothing I could do about it.

But now we're back. I'm so happy to be back.

I couldn't be happier; I finally got to see Elena, who I haven't seen in a year. She was like my sister, and the last place I saw her was at her parents' funeral. But now I'm back, and I plan to launch a sneak attack on her.

But the one thing I didn't like about moving back was that it seemed too good to be true. There was something fake about the whole thing, but I couldn't think about that, I was just glad that we were back.

We finally got into town, and I watched as all the stores and shops that were part of my childhood fly pass the window. I saw people walking about the quaint little town. I recognized some people, but didn't see Elena among them.

My bouncing started up again, the excitement gnawing at me. I was so glad to be away from California, from all those blonde clones that deemed me an emo whore because I didn't look like them. But now I was with my real friends. I was home.

"Hailey Anne Ellis, if you don't stop that, I will ship you back to Los Angeles faster than you can say 'I'm sorry!'" my mother suddenly shouted at me.

I stopped at glared at my mother with fury. I bit back my retort, knowing she would send me back to California, and instead focused my gaze on the coffee next to her. The coffee cup next to her started to shake as we stopped at a stop light. Suddenly, it exploded all over my mom, and she shrieked, while I laughed.

My black onyx ring glowed for a few short moments, as my mom calmed down, and I stopped laughing. I had the biggest smirk on my face as we kept driving.

I'm physic, I have powers. I'm telekinetic, and I have visions of the future. I'm now the best at controlling my powers, and my emotions get the best of me sometimes.

No one knew about my powers. If anyone found able to out, I'd be shipped to the loony bin. I started getting them around my fifteenth birthday. I started predicting things right before my dad died, and my powers got stronger after he died. I barely knew anything about my powers. I don't know why I have them, only that my ring helped me control them.

My onyx ring was given to me on my 15th birthday by my dad, right before he died. Sometimes, I wondered if he knew more about my powers than I thought he did.

We turned on to the street where I used to live, and I smiled when I saw the old house I grew up in. it's been in the Ellis family for generations, and I loved it.

I jumped out of the car, even before it stopped moving, causing my mom to yell at me. I ignored her, and grabbed my black and white kitten named Ellie, who was sleeping on the seat next to me. She meowed at me, annoyed that I woke her up from her nap. I grabbed my purse and my bags and ran into the house, slamming the door.

I looked around the house, and it looked just like the way we left it. All the plastic covers over the future was gone, and there was no dust, or cob webs in sight. Mom must've had the movers clean everything.

I ran upstairs to my room, and burst through the door. It looked just the way I left it.

The walls were still neon green, and had posters of my favorite bands like Cobra Starship, and All Time Low, along with pictures of me, Elena, my dad, and Elena's family on them.

I looked at the walls one more time, before dropping my bags on the ground, and Ellie clawed her way onto my bed, before falling asleep. I ran a hand through my hair, before walking to the garage, where my prized possession, my baby, waited.

My car was my child, and I loved it like she was. She was a restored 1956 red mustang. It was my dad's before me, and my favorite memories were just of him and me driving around town.

I got in the car, smiling indulgently at the purr of the engine, before pulling out of the garage, driving toward Elena's.

I reached Elena's house within minutes, I was driving so fast. I jumped out right away, and practically sprinted to the door. I knocked on it so hard, I probably could have broken it if Jeremy haven't have had answered it.

"Chill, I'm coming, I'm coming." he mumbled before looking down at me. His eyes almost popped out of his sockets when he saw me.

"Hailey!" he shouted, before enveloping me in a hug.

"Hey, Jeremy!" I said, beaming.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, as we broke away from each other.

"I'm back, baby. I hope you didn't miss me too much." I smirked.

Jeremy rolled his eyes at me, but continued smiling. Jeremy was like my annoying little brother, and Elena had been telling me he was going through a tough time. I would lecture him later, though.

"Is Elena here?" I asked him, praying she was. It would be just my luck if she was out of town. So much for my sneak attack.

"Yeah, upstairs." He said, moving out of the way. I smiled once last time, before bounding up the stairs. Excitement kept gnawing at my stomach, like it was going to crawl out of me.

I didn't knock on Elena's door, just slammed the door open. A huge grin was on my lips, as I shouted. "I'm back, baby!"

My grin fell for a second, when I realized Elena wasn't alone.

"Oh, shit." I said, slamming the door shut.

My Elena, sweet, innocent Elena, was on top of a boy, half naked.

I guess things did change while I was gone.

**A/N: **reviews inspire me to update faster. *hint, hint*


	3. meet the boy toy

**chapter two**

**Meet the boy toy**

*Hailey*

Elena instantly opened the door and I saw the strap of her lacy pink bra.

"Hey, Lena. Don't mind me, I can wait while you finish up with your boy toy." I smirked, while Elena blushed a deep crimson.

"I had no idea you were coming here! Just give me a second." She said, and then shut the door. I decided to walk down to the kitchen, in case they decide to go for round two up there. I sat down at the square table, wondering why Elena never told me about her boy toy. We did talk on the phone three times a week, and texted a lot.

Elena and her boy toy came downstairs, fully dressed now, and both looking embarrassed. I smirked at them, and I got up to go hug my best friend.

"Aw, you guys managed to get out of bed and put some clothes on for little ol' me? How sweet!" I said sarcastically, as I embraced Elena. She rolled her eyes at me.

"What are you doing here, Hailey? How long are you staying?" she asked, as we let go of each other.

"We moved back." I said excitedly, forgetting my slight agitation that she didn't mention her hot boy toy to me.

Elena broke into a huge smile, and hugged me again. "Really? Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

"I guess we both forgot to mention some things." I said, raising an eyebrow.

Elena looked down to the floor, abashed. Then she looked at the boy standing behind her. "Hailey, this is Stefan Salvatore, my boyfriend. Stefan, this is Hailey Ellis, my best friend." She smiled at him, and I saw the love clear in her eyes.

I frowned, if she was in love with this Stefan, then she really should have told me. But still, I looked up at the handsome boy, and held out my hand. "hey." I said.

"Hi." He replied, shaking my hand.

Suddenly, I felt a feeling overcome me. It was dark, and… death. I yanked my hand away, staring at Stefan like he electrocuted me. Stefan and Elena both stared back like I was crazy.

"Uh, sorry, you… shocked me." I mumbled, brushing my heavy bangs out of my face.

I looked at Stefan, and I saw recognition in his green eyes, like he's seen me before. I frowned; I've never met him in my entire life.

"Uh, I think I'll let you two catch up." He said awkwardly, backing out of the kitchen. But he kept eying me like I was a ghost from his past.

"It was nice meeting you." I called, sitting down at the table. He nodded, and Elena eyed him worriedly.

"I'll walk you to the door." She announced, following him out of the room.

I sat alone in the Gilbert kitchen, frowning at the polished wood. There was something… off about Stefan. And I had a feeling Elena knew what it was.

*Stefan*

He led Elena to her front door, his eyes wide like he just saw a ghost. He felt like he did. But it was impossible… he knew Victoria died. He saw her dead body. He attended her funeral.

"What's wrong?" Elena whispered to him once they were out of earshot from Hailey.

"How long have you known Hailey?" he asked, trying to process it. Maybe it was like with Elena and Katherine. But how many doppelgangers can exist in one town?

"Since the day she was born. We've been friends as long as I can remember. Her dad was best friends with my parents. We grew up together." Elena smiled slightly, remembering the life-long friendship.

"There's no possibility she's a vampire?" Stefan asked, and Elena's eyebrows furrowed.

"No possibility. I watched her grow up, Stefan. She's human." She said. "Why would you think she's a vampire?"

Stefan sighed. "Because, I once knew Victoria Ellis, when I was human. Back in 1864." He explained.

"So?" Elena said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So, if I didn't know better, I would swear Victoria was in the other room." Stefan finally admitted, and Elena gaped at him.

"What? You mean Hailey-?" Elena was at a loss for words.

"I mean Hailey is the doppelganger of Victoria, her ancestor." He said, and Elena seemed frozen. He frowned, as he remembered what happened to Victoria.

"What, Stefan?" Elena asked anxiously.

"The thing is… Victoria wasn't exactly normal. She was known as the town freak. And a few months before I turned, Victoria killed herself."

There was silence, as Elena took in the information. It seemed like decades, until she said, "But that doesn't mean Hailey will end up like that, right? I mean, just because they look alike, that doesn't make her Victoria." She was biting her lip, as if she needed him to reassure her of her best friend's sanity.

"Of course not." He agreed. "It probably means nothing, Elena. I just thought you should know." He regretted saying anything, but knew Elena hated being left out on important information.

Elena nodded, the kissed him quickly. "We'll just… keep an eye out for her. But she can't find out about it. I don't want her knowing about you, about vampires." She said.

"Of course." He agreed.

Stefan left quickly, while Elena went to reconnect with her best friend. But Stefan couldn't stop thinking about the whole situation. How big of a coincidence does it have to be, that there are two doppelgangers in one town? And they're best friends? Stefan was glad he didn't mention to Elena that Victoria and Katherine were close, back in 1864.

Stefan thought life would be getting back to normal, now that Damon was gone. But with history possibly repeating itself, things in Mystic Falls were just getting weirder.

*Hailey*

I was still sitting, thinking about how weird this day has been, when Elena came back, looking very freaked out. But when she saw me, she seemed to push it away, and enjoy the fact that I was back.

"I'm so happy that you're back." she said, sitting down across from me.

"I am too, I hated it in California, and it was full of fakes trying to make it big, which meant sleeping around. One time I actually had a guy tell me that he could make me famous, if I gave him a blow job." I made a disgusted face.

Elena laughed. "Really? What did you do?"

"I said, 'No way in hell, you perv,' then kicked him in his balls, and ran away." we both laughed, and after we stopped Elena asked me, "Why did you guys all of a sudden decide to move back?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, my mom just told me 2 weeks ago that we had to go back, and I didn't argue." I said, shrugging again. "So, what's happened here?"

Elena got this look on her face, which seemed to say, "You don't wanna know.", but she answered, "A lot of things. Bonnie moved away a couple months ago. It wasn't fun, not having any of my friends here."

I frowned, I liked Bonnie. She was one of my closest friends.

"That sucks. What else?"

"Jeremy's been going through some really hard times. Vicki Donavon's body was found a couple months ago." She grimaced slightly.

"Oh, no. poor Matt." I frowned. Matt was a good guy, and my best guy friend. He didn't deserve that.

"Yeah, but Caroline's been helping him a lot." Elena said absentmindedly, but I instantly stiffened.

"_Caroline Forbes_?" I hissed her name like it was cursed.

Elena looked uncomfortable. "Yeah, they've been dating for a couple months now." She bit her lip.

I glared at the table. Caroline and I didn't get along, ever since I first met her. And now, she was dating the sweetest guy ever. How did that work?

Elena shot me a look. "Hailey, she's really not that bad." She insisted, but I just rolled my eyes.

"Whatever, Elena. What else happened?" I was gnawing on my lip, thinking about Caroline. If she hurt Matt, I would hunt her down and-

"Hailey? Did you hear what I said? Mr. Tanner was murdered." Elena repeated.

I shrugged. "He was a dick." I said, not really moved by his death.

"Hailey Anne Ellis!" Elena hissed at me.

"What? It's true!" I defended myself.

"He _died. _You can't say bad things about a dead person!" Elena said, looking scandalized.

"Well, then you're in for a shock when Caroline kicks the bucket…" I smirked, while Elena glared.

"Come on, tell me about you and Stefan, and give me a good reason why you never mentioned it before." I raised an eyebrow, and she smiled sheepishly.

"Things are… complicated, Hailey." She sighed.

"Too complicated to tell your best friend?" I said, a little hurt.

"Hailey…" she sighed.

But then my phone rang. "It's my mom." I mumbled, and answered.

"What?" I snapped, glaring at Elena, while standing up.

"Get home, now." She said, choosing to ignore my attitude.

"Why?" I said, a little snotty. Elena had put me in a bad mood.

"We're having dinner at the Lockwood's in two hours. And if you have a bad attitude when you come home, I'm selling that nasty cat." She said.

I sighed. I never pushed her when it came to Ellie. "Fine, I'll be home soon." I said.

My mom hung up on me, and glared at the phone, then at Elena.

"I have to go to dinner with the Lockwood's. Call me when you decide I'm important enough to hear about your 'complicated' relationship with Stefan." I muttered, already walking to the door.

"Hailey-" she sighed.

But I was already gone.

**A/N: **like always, review!


	4. dinner with the Lockwood's

**Chapter three**

**Dinner with the Lockwood's**

*Hailey*

I reached my house, and sighed, slowly trudging into the house.

"Hailey! There you are! Go up to your room, and change. I put an outfit on your bed, and you are to wear it, and only it, okay? Don't wear one of _your _outfits, or you can say goodbye to your credit cards." said my mom, coming into the room, in a silk robe, and her hair in curlers.

I rolled my eyes, and started up the stairs to my room.

"Of course, mom, we wouldn't want the Lockwood's to think that I'm a whore, would we? Especially when you do such a good job at doing that yourself." I said, smirking, then ran up the stairs, before my mom could throw something at me.

I opened my bedroom door, walked into it, then slammed and locked it. I looked at my bed, and I froze.

There on the bed was the most hideous outfit I've ever seen.

"Gross." I said.

The dress was flowery with pink flowers, and white flats. My mother had laid out pearl earrings and a necklace.

I made a face, but changed into the ugly dress, feeling my anger increase, as I put on pearls. I pulled my hair into a high ponytail, before looking at myself in the full length mirror on my wall.

I looked like I was going to church.

I felt a rush of anger towards my mother, for making me go to this god awful dinner, and dressing like something I wasn't. Added with my anger and hurt towards Elena, I could've punched a nun in the face, and not feel guilty. My ring started glowing, and my mirror started to shake. A few seconds later, it burst.

I ducked, to keep from getting cut by the flying glass, and covered Ellie, who had come over here when the mirror first started shaking. When things calmed down, I stood up and looked around my room, taking in what happened.

Glass was scattered around the one foot radius of the mirror, other than that everything was in good condition.

"I really have to learn to control my temper." I said to Ellie, who gave an annoyed meow back, before bouncing back over to her haven that is my bed.

I rolled my eyes at my cat, but smiled, then I brushed myself off. Then I skipped out the door, saying, "Later, Elle." to Ellie.

When I got downstairs to where my mom was waiting. "What was that noise up there?" she asked.

I rolled my eyes. "World War three. What do you think it was? I knocked my alarm clock over, which knocked over the night stand." I lied.

She glared at me, before taking in what I looked like. I saw a look of longing pass through her eyes, which made a look of anger pass through mine. I looked like the daughter she always wanted, but instead, she got me, which made me mad.

There was a time where I would do anything to get my mother's love, and to want her to want me, but then I got sick of being something I'm not get love from a person who's never going to love me for who I am, so I gave up. She resented me because I didn't wear dresses, wasn't a cheerleader, and didn't hold back my thoughts and feelings. I resented her, because she won't accept me the way I am.

"I love this dress on you, it covers most your god awful tattoos." she said.

I had three tattoos. A broken heart on my hip, a four leaf clover on my ankle, and the Chinese symbol of strength on my wrist.

I smirked at her. "I know, what a shame." I said.

She glared at me. "Would it kill you to be a normal teenage girl?" she snapped.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure it would." I smirked.

"One of these days, your mouth is going to land you in some serious trouble." She said.

"Mom, I don't care where I am, as long as you're not with me." I said coldly, before walking out of the house. My mother didn't even flinch; she didn't care about me enough, to have my cruel retorts hurt her anymore.

"Hailey! Look how much you've grown!" said Mrs. Lockwood, as she and her husband greeted us at the door.

"Uh, thanks." I said, uncomfortably.

Mr. and Mrs. Lockwood had always made me uncomfortable. My mom had befriended them, and ever since, all three had plotted together to make me a normal, respectable young woman, and a good founding family member. Not to mention, to get Tyler Lockwood and I together.

"You're really turning into a beautiful young woman, Hailey." Mr. Lockwood said.

"Uh, thanks." I repeated, even more uncomfortable.

Suddenly, Tyler showed up to our small group by the front doors.

"Tyler, how nice of you to finally joining us." said Mr. Lockwood sarcastically.

"No problem, pops." he retorted, smirking at me.

"Uh, Tyler, how about you and Hailey go upstairs to your bedroom until dinner is ready." Said Mrs. Lockwood, sharing a smile with my mom.

"Yes, Hailey, go." my mom seconded, pushing me to Tyler.

Tyler sighed, and I made a face, but I followed him when he headed for his room.

"Yes, Tyler, let us go to your bedroom, where of course we'll fall madly in love, and carry on our family name." I said, with a roll of my eyes.

Tyler chuckled. "It's good to have you back, Hails."

Tyler is one of closest friends. He could be a dick sometimes, but I called him out on it. That's how our friendship worked. But when Matt and Elena got together, it fueled our mothers' plans to get us together. In all honesty, Tyler was hot, but any chances of us getting together were ruined by my mother's pushing.

We walked into Tyler's room, and I laid down on to his bed. I closed my eyes, and I knew Tyler was checking me out. But I didn't mind.

"So, Hails, care to share why you're dressed the way you're dressed?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at my clothes, as I opened my bright green eyes again.

I sighed, and leaned my head against the head board of his bed.

"My mom threatened to get rid of my cat. Don't I look like I should be going to church?"

Tyler chuckled. "I don't think you're allowed in church, Hailey." he said.

I glared at him. "Shut up!" I said, trying to kick him.

He dodged it, and laughed.

Then a maid came in to the room. "Your parents' say it is time for dinner." she said with a Spanish accent.

We nodded, and then headed out the door, and to the dining room, where dinner is being held. _This should be interesting_, I thought, as we joined are parents in the dining room, and dinner began.

I picked at my dinner, bored out of my mind, as Mr. Lockwood droned on and on about Founder's Council stuff. I have to say, this by far has got to be the worst thing I have ever suffered through in a long time. Calculus class is more fun than this.

After hours of torture, my mother finally said we would be leaving. Beaming with happiness, I hugged Tyler, to his surprise and our mothers' glee.

We said our goodbyes, and walked to the car. I ignored my mother, already planning to hit the bar when we got home. I really needed a drink right now.

"That went well." My mother said cheerfully, starting the car.

"We're alone now, you don't have to pretend to like me anymore." I snapped, leaning against the window.

My mother gritted her teeth, but didn't say anything. I think she knew better than to mess with me, after forcing me into an ugly dress and sit through a boring dinner. I was glad, because after my not-so awesome day back, I didn't really feel like getting into a fight.

I closed my eyes, really needing that drink right now.

I hurried away from my mom, when we reached the house. I got dressed into jean short shorts, and a black Three Days Grace t-shirt. I let my long, dark hair fall past my shoulders, then grabbed my purse.

I walked straight past my mother in the kitchen, and walked to my car. I drove to the Mystic Grill, looking forward to the glass of Bourbon waiting me.

I was a slight alcoholic. I had started drinking more lately, as things between my mother and I grew worse. I knew it was a terrible way to deal with my emotions, and I would be attending AA meetings in the future, but I was already in too deep.

The Grill wasn't very full, only a couple of kids in the back playing pool, and a guy at the bar. I walked straight up to the bar, and hopped on a stool.

"Bourbon, and leave the bottle", I said to the bartender, setting my purse down.

The bartender looked over at me, and so did the only other guy at the bar, but I didn't get a good look at him.

The bartender, Frank, who was in his mid-thirties, came over to me with a smirk on his face.

"And how old are you? Quite below the drinking age I believe." he said.

I rolled my eyes. "Cut the shit, Frank. It's been a long day, and I'm not in a good mood, so just get me my drink like a good little bartender." I smirked.

Frank smiled at me. "Quite the melodramatic, aren't we Hailey?" he said, before pouring my drink. He set it in front of me, and turned around to leave, but I stopped him.

"Uh, uh, uh. I believe I said leave the bottle."

Frank laughed, and set the bottle in front of me. "Let's not get too drunk, Hailey, it is a school night." he teased. I rolled my eyes, and waved him away.

I sighed in pleasure as the warm liquid burned its way down my throat. This is how I got rid of my troubles. I let my eyes wander over to the only other person sitting at the bar. They widened slightly as I checked the man out.

He was very handsome, probably in his mid-twenties. He had dark black hair, and icy blue eyes, and a dark aura of danger and sexiness.

Suddenly, blue met green, and the man smirked at me, which I returned, before tossing back my shot.

He came over to me, and I brushed my dark bangs out of my face, to see him better. I already had a slight buzz, and an alarm was going off in my head. Men and alcohol didn't mix well for me. But I didn't tell him to go away, just kept on smirking.

"Hi." I said, pushing my hair back.

"Hello." He smirked, checking me out. Maybe my bad day could turn into a great night.

"I'm Hailey Ellis." I said, as I poured another shot.

He cocked his head to the side slightly, as he seemed to realize something. His smirk grew wider, as he held out his hand, and said, "Damon. Damon Salvatore."

**A/N: **thank you for the reviews abby102030405060708090 and aireagle92. As always, reviews inspire me:)


	5. Damon Salvatore

**Chapter four**

**Damon Salvatore**

*Damon*

_Welcome to Mystic Falls!_

Damon drove past the welcome sign, the sun just setting, as he drove back into the town he hated the most. There was no good reason for why he had come back, after a year. He had been in Texas, staying at some cowboy bar. It was similar to the movie Coyote Ugly, where the waitresses danced on the bar. It was pretty great.

But no matter how many girls he slept with, how drunk he got, and how much blood he drank, he could not forget that cold, ruthless bitch, who tore his heart out of his chest. Before he knew it, he was in his car, driving home, driving towards his only memories of Katherine.

Maybe he came back to piss off his brother. That was probably it. Stefan would be getting too comfortable without him there. It was about time Damon reminded his brother about the eternity of misery he promised him.

As Damon pulled up to the boarding house, he smirked to himself. He imagined the look on Stefan's face when he saw that he was back. It would be priceless, and Damon needed a good laugh. All that Katherine pain was wearing down on him, no matter how much he tried to hide it. To distract himself from said pain, Damon came up with different ideas on how to torment Stefan. He had a lot of catching up to do in that department.

Damon walked into the house, slinging his bag over his shoulder, and taking off his sunglasses. His nose wrinkled as he took in the old house- he never really liked the décor. He glanced around, but his brother was nowhere to be found, probably out with Elena. Damon smirked, all the better. It would be a nice surprise for him, to come home and find his big brother back to make his life hell.

Damon walked into his bedroom, happy to see it was how he had left it. He tossed his bag on the floor, and ran a hand through his hair. Being back in Mystic Falls made him think of Katherine, and thinking of Katherine opened that big box of emotions- some older than the senior citizens of Mystic Falls. And Damon wanted to keep that box shut tight.

But he couldn't help but wonder, if Katherine walked through his door at that moment, and begged for him back, would he take her? He probably would. He hated her, yet everything he did the last 146 years was for her. He groaned, and shut his eyes. No, he would stop thinking about all that confusing shit.

Damon walked downstairs to the living room, and grabbed a bottle of whiskey, unopened. It seemed lately, the only way to not think about Katherine was to get wasted. Sleeping with random bar chicks didn't help- he always compared them to her. And drinking blood never did any good- he learned everything about being a vampire from her. So Damon was resigned to getting drunk every other night.

Suddenly, the front door opened, and there appeared Stefan and Elena, deep in conversation. Damon smirked, taking a swig of whiskey. _Show time._

Damon leaned against the wall, waiting to be noticed. But Stefan and Elena didn't seem to notice him, as they gazed at each other romantically, and kissed.

"Am I interrupting something?" he said, smirking, taking another swig of whiskey.

The two jumped apart from each other, and Stefan turned to his brother, eyes wide.

"Damon." he asked, sounding less than thrilled to see him.

"Aw, no 'Hello big brother?' Aren't you happy to see me?" he said, his return playing out exactly the way he wanted it to.

"Why are you here, Damon?" he asked, and Damon rolled his eyes. Stefan always went straight to point, never letting him have any fun.

"I missed you too much, Stefan." he replied, walking up to him.

"And I thought that this town was finally safe now that you were gone." Elena said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hello to you too, Elena." He said sarcastically, ignoring the ping in his heart, seeing Katherine's doppelganger caused him.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan repeated, glaring at his brother.

"I had a feeling you were getting too comfortable without me. Besides, I still have that whole 'eternity of misery' thing to live up to- I'm just keeping my word." He smirked, as Elena glared fiercely at him.

"You never going to give up, are you? Not until I'm dead." Stefan said, looking at Damon, resigned.

"I don't want you to die, Stefan. If you died, then all my fun would be over." Even as Damon said the words, he started to realize he wasn't as into torturing Stefan as usual.

"So, what is it? Another diabolical plot?" Stefan tried again, and Damon sighed. He wished he had some evil mastermind plan; it might get him out of this funk.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I don't have any plans to take over Mystic Falls. Wish I did though- might spice things up." Damon looked down at his empty bottle. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need more alcohol."

Damon walked right past an incredulous Stefan, and his glaring girlfriend, to the door. Turns out, his big return didn't make Damon as happy as he thought it would.

"Try not to kill anyone while I'm gone. Oh wait, no need to worry about that." he called over his shoulder, before leaving.

Damon found himself at the Mystic Grill. Ignoring the high school kids milling around, he made a beeline for the bar, and sat down.

"Bourbon, and leave the bottle." he ordered, and bartender got him his drink quickly. Damon felt that familiar burn in his throat, as he tossed back the shot, and found some comfort in it.

Ten minutes and two glasses later, Damon was buzzed. He heard the doors opened, and saw a beautiful raven haired girl walk towards the bar. She looked familiar to him, but her heavy bangs hid her face. He watched her sit down a few bar stools away, and order.

"Bourbon, and leave the bottle", she ordered, sounding just as stressed as him.

"And how old are you? Quite below the drinking age I believe." the bartender said to the girl, but had a teasing tone.

Damon barely saw her roll her eyes. "Cut the shit, Frank. It's been a long day, and I'm not in a good mood, so just get me my drink like a good little bartender." He smirked at the same time she did.

The bartender smiled at her. "Quite the melodramatic, aren't we Hailey?" he said, before pouring her drink and setting it in front of her. He turned around to leave, but she stopped him.

"Uh, uh, uh. I believe I said leave the bottle." she said, and Damon smirked again. He didn't know this girl, but he definitely liked her.

He laughed, and set the bottle in front of her. "Let's not get too drunk, Hailey, it is a school night." he teased, and she rolled her eyes, and waved him away.

He heard her sigh in relief, as she sipped her drink. Damon finished his third one, and welcomed the feeling of being drunk like it was an old friend.

He noticed this Hailey check him out, and smirked silently to himself. Even though he was starting to respect her too much to sleep with her, he definitely wouldn't say no if she came on to him.

Damon looked over and met her green eyes- bright, neon green. They were definitely unique, but Damon had seen them before.

The drunken fog overcame him, and he decided to go talk to this human- his favorite human, he decided. He didn't even know this Hailey, but she was his favorite.

He saw her forehead wrinkle slightly, as if secretly thinking this was a bad mistake in the works. _Honey, you have no idea_, he thought, as he sat down next to her.

"Hi," she smirked, apparently deciding that she wasn't going to stop the possible mistake.

"Hello," he smirked back, seeing her face clearly for the first time.

And who he saw behind the thick black bangs was Victoria Ellis.

**A/N: **my account's screwed up, and it says I have 3 reviews I haven't read, but I can't read them. So, if you reviewed, thank you!

Reviews make me smile :)


	6. drinking buddies

**Chapter five**

**Drinking buddies**

*Hailey*

It was two hours later, and Damon and I were very drunk.

Damon was Stefan's big brother, but they didn't get along very well, I learned. But it was strange, because when Damon and I touched hands, I got the same feeling of death from him that I got from Stefan. Being drunk though, I didn't think much of it.

"So, Damon, got yourself a girlfriend?" I blurted out, doing another shot of tequila.

"Nope." he said, giving me a lazy smirk, and stealing my tequila.

"And why not? You're hot!" I exclaimed, making the bartender laugh while he was wiping glasses.

"Because my ex. She's a bitch, but I love her." he slurred, a sad look crossing his face when he mentioned her.

"Aww, so sweet. You're in loooove!" I teased, giggling in a way only a drunk person could.

"Whata bout you? Gotta boyfriend?" he asked, giving me a drunk yet sexy smirk.

"Nope, 'cause there isn't a hot enough guy for me." Till now, I thought, though I didn't say that.

He smirked at me, and I easily returned that smirk. He was going to say something to me, but was interrupted by Frank.

"Okay, you drinking buddies, I'm closing up soon. So make some phone calls, because there's no way I'm letting you two drive home as drunk as you are."

"We're not that drunk." I defended, slurring all my words.

Frank raised an eyebrow. "Half an hour ago, the two of you were singing Hannah Montana songs." he pushed the telephone my way. "Call." he ordered, before turning away.

I sighed, then gave in, and dialed Elena's cell number.

"Hello?" she answered on the 2nd ring.

"Lena bear, Hi!" I slurred.

She laughed. "Hails, you're seriously drunk."

"I know right? Well, I needs a ride, but I gots my car here."

"I'll have Stefan drive me there, then he'll follow me so I'll have a ride back."

"Okie dokie see you!" I said happily.

Elena laughed. "Hailey, you're gonna have the world's worst hangover tomorrow."

"Yep! By Lena!"

"Bye Hailey."

We hung up, and then I turned Damon, his eyes looking even bluer when I was drunk.

"Who's Lena?" he asked, his black hair messy.

"Lena is my best, best, best friend ever!" I said happily. "Her real name's Elena." I added, going for the bottle of tequila.

Damon raised both his eyebrows, and had a mischievous smirk on.

"Elena Gilbert?" he asked.

"Yeah! Do ya know her?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

"Yeah, I do. Well, I gotta go Hailey. It was nice getting drunk with ya." he smirked again, tossed some bills on the counter, before leaving.

"Bye Damon!" I waved madly.

I could hear his arrogant laugh even after he was out the door.

Frank came back a few minutes later.

"Where'd your drinking buddy go?" he asked, taking my bottle away.

"Left, but he paid." I said, pointing to the money on the counter. He sighed but nodded, and took the money.

A few minutes later, Elena came, with Stefan following her.

"Hey Hailey." she greeted, coming over to me. I noticed her frown when she saw how drunk I was.

"Lena! Lena's boy toy!" I said, all happy and drunk like.

Elena rolled her eyes, and grabbed my hand, like I was a two year old. She said goodbye to Frank, then led me out into the parking lot.

"Hailey, I'll give you a lecture on your alcoholism in the morning, okay?" she sighed.

I shook my head rapidly, excessive giggles coming from my lips.

"Okay Lena, somebody's gotta do it!" I exclaimed, before laughing like I heard the funniest joke ever. The corner of Elena's mouth twitched up.

"Hailey and her mom aren't very close. It's a really long story." Elena explained to her boyfriend.

"She's a bitch!" I shouted into the still night air.

"We'll probably be doing this often." Elena said, as we reached my car, letting go of my hand.

She dug into my purse for my keys, and then got me situated in the passenger side. I was laughing and shaking uncontrollably, giving her a hard time.

"So, Hails, how'd dinner go?" she asked, pulling out of the parking lot, Stefan following us.

"I will not marry Tyler!" I blurted out.

She gave me a weird look. "I don't even wanna know." She said.

I suddenly looked at her, all serious. "I'm sorry I was mad at you. I just thought we were best friends." I said, losing my drunken happiness.

Elena bit her lip. "We are, Hailey." She said quietly.

"Then why didn't you tell me about your boy toy?" I asked, confused.

Elena sighed. "We'll talk about it when you're sober, okay?" she said.

"Okay!" I agreed, happy again. Elena laughed, and shook her head.

"How was getting wasted?" she asked.

"I got myself a drinking buddy, and he's hot!" Elena laughed again, just as we pulled up to my house.

Elena led me to my house, and made sure I was safely in it before getting into Stefan's car.

"Bye Lena! Bye Lena's boy toy!" I shouted, waving madly.

I made my way into my house, stumbling slightly along the way. Getting up stairs was tricky, and I hit my head on the wall twice.

My mom was asleep, as I fell into my room. I was glad, the last thing I needed wasted, was my mom to bitch me out. Though, I probably woke her up, with all my stumbling and laughter.

"Shh, we don't want to wake up the evil bitch." I whispered to my cat. I swear, she rolled her eyes at me, before going back to sleep.

I kicked off my shoes, and then burrowed under my blankets. I felt warm and safe, in the dark, under my blankets.

Sleep was taking me over, and my eyes fluttered closed. "Night Drinking buddy." I sighed into the air, before finally passing out.

**A/N: **thank you vdemily and aireagle92 for reviewing! Reviews inspire me 3


	7. Awkward

**Chapter six**

**Awkward**

*Hailey*

_I was running down a trail in the Mystic Falls Park, when I felt like someone was watching me. I looked around, but I was alone._

_I shook my head to clear my mind, causing my red pony tail to shake. I was probably just imagining the feeling._

_Suddenly, there were sounds like footsteps coming from the woods surrounding me. I jumped, when a fluffy gray bunny hopped across the trail._

_I shook my head and laughed at myself; I really needed to stop watching horror movies. I put my ear buds back in my ears and started running again._

"_Carly Fell." Someone whispered. Every hair on the back of my neck rose in alarm, and my body went stiff._

_I turned around slowly, just in time to see a person with a hood covering their face, attack me. I screamed, but they covered my mouth with their hand._

_My attacker dragged me into the woods, my kicking and thrashing no use. Tears boiled up in my eyes, knowing I was going to die._

"_The familie__s will pay for what they did to us." My attacker hissed, slamming me into a tree. Barely had to yelp, before they bit roughly into my neck._

_I screamed, tears running down my cheeks, as another person bit me. Then another, then another. Before I knew it, I was outside my body, watching my attackers drain my dead body of its blood._

I screamed, jolting up from sleep, sweating heavily. My heart was beating wildly, and I felt up my neck, searching for any bite marks, sighing in relief when I didn't find any. What the hell was that?

I had just had a nightmare of Carly Fell being murdered by… vampires.

Carly Fell was a year younger than me- I think she dated Jeremy for five seconds before he became obsessed with Vicki Donovan. She was a cross country star, and a bit of bitch. The only words she ever said to me were, "Those jeans make your ass look huge." After that, I graffitied her locker. Why would I have a nightmare of her murder?

It was so real. I felt her pain, her terror. It felt like I _was _her. I could still feel the bites on my neck. It reminded me of a vision, though I never had a dream vision. More like intuition- I just sort of knew when things were going to happen.

But, if it was a vision, why were vampires in it? They weren't real. Just because I was physic, didn't make Bigfoot real. It was just a dream, it had to be a really nasty, drunk nightmare. I shouldn't of have watched Twilight on the airplane coming back to Virginia.

I took a shaky deep breathe, before looking over at my alarm clock. It read 3:37 in big, bright green letters. I sighed, and ran a hand through my hair. My head was pounding, my hangover already rearing its ugly head. Feeling a strong urge to vomit suddenly, I ran from my bed to my bathroom.

For five minutes straight, I threw up. I vowed to never drink again, but I always did that during vomiting.

After I was done, I took a quick shower, feeling gross from vomiting and my nightmare. I got dressed in some comfortable pajamas, brushed my teeth to get rid of the nasty taste in my mouth, and then went back to a sweet, dreamless sleep.

"_You were a probl__em child  
>Been grounded your whole life<br>So now you running wild  
>Playing with them good girls<br>No that ain't your style  
>You think your hot shit<br>You cool, I love it, I love it  
>Yeah, yeah<br>Stumbling but yeah, you're still looking hella fine  
>Keep doing what you're doing and I'ma make you mine."<em>

I groaned, cursing my cellphone. My head felt like rhinos were running across it, as sirens rang loud in my ears.

I held out my hand, and my cellphone flew to it. Blindly, I pressed the 'talk' button, and held it to my ear.

"Yellow?" I said softly, trying not to set off my migraine.

"Orange!" Elena shouted into the other end, which made me wince, but also smile, since this is what Elena and I had used as greetings for the phone ever since we were little.

"Ugh, don't be cruel." I whined, rubbing my temples.

"Oh, yeah, how's that hangover treating you?" she whispered, and I could tell she was smirking.

"Best time of my life." I said sarcastically, sitting up in my bed.

I could practically hear her eyes roll. "Do you even remember what happened last night?"

"Barely. I remember going to that horrible Lockwood dinner, then going to the grill. I'm pretty sure I met a really hot guy too. Ugh, his eyes were so blue."

She laughed. "Do you remember his name?" she asked, amused.

"I'm pretty sure he had one." I said, racking my memory. But all I remembered were those god damn icy blue eyes.

She laughed again, and I winced. "Not so loud." I complained.

I could tell she rolled her eyes again. "Do you think you can manage to pick Stefan and me up from his house, Hailey Hangover?"

I rolled my eyes at her. "Yes, Sally Sober, I can. Why would I be doing that?" I asked, getting out of bed, causing Ellie to fall off.

Ellie hissed at me, before retreating to her cat bed by my closet. I rolled my eyes, as Elena replied, "Because we have school today."

I groaned and grimaced. "Do I have to go?"

"Yes, you do!" Elena said, like the idea of skipping was scandalous. I rolled my eyes; goody-goody.

"Whatever mom, I'll be there in twenty." I said sarcastically.

"Okay, bye- wait!"

"What?" I asked, walking into my bathroom.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Stefan. We're best friends, there's no excuse." She apologized.

I smiled at my hung over reflection. "It's okay, Lena. I just wanna know the details later, okay?"

"Okay." She agreed.

We hung up, and I brushed my teeth, before going to my closet. I got dressed into dark skinny jeans, and a red plaid button up. I put my dark hair up into a messy bun, then did my makeup. I was ready to go after ten minutes.

I walked quietly down the stairs, and into the kitchen. I ignored my mother, who was eating her diet food while glaring at me, and poured myself some coffee.

"And where were you last night?" she asked, glaring at my outfit.

I sighed; I was hoping she didn't notice I was M.I.A. it wasn't that she didn't know I was an underage drinker, just that I wasn't in a mood to fight.

"The bar." I said casually, grabbing a blueberry muffin and biting into it.

"The bar? Wait, are you drunk?" she narrowed her eyes at me.

I rolled my eyes. She didn't care that I was on a road to becoming alcoholic, just that if word got out that her seventeen year old daughter was drinking, it would ruin her.

"I wish. I'm hung over, thanks for the concern mommy dearest." my voice dripping with sarcasm, and hate.

She rolled her eyes at me, turning back to the magazine in her hands. I quickly finished my breakfast, the coffee helping my hang over, and walked to my car.

As I put my car in drive, my mind wandered to the nightmare I had all but forgotten. There was no possibility is was a vision- there were vampires in it. Yet, as I assured myself, I was still worried.

I pulled up to the Salvatore Boarding house, and turned off my car. I walked up to front door- the house was so huge and old, I was slightly afraid I would break something.

Randomly, I thought of blue eyes. Thinking of the Salvatore's made me think of him. What was his name?

I knocked on the door gently, biting my lip in deep thought. Just as it opened, I remembered; his name was Damon Salvatore.

"Hailey, what are you doing here?" Damon himself asked, looking as hung over as myself. He smirked at me, and I returned it.

I was about to answer, when Elena came down the stairs and saw me.

"Hailey! Took you long enough!" she teased, her smile dropping when she saw Damon.

That's when I remembered; Stefan and Damon were brothers.

"Damon, what are you doing?" Stefan asked, walking down the stairs after his girlfriend.

Damon smirked at his younger brother. "Talking to my drinking buddy here." he said, looking at me. There was something in his gaze that made me feel weak in the knees.

Elena eyes widened, and she said, "Wait, Damon was the guy from the bar?"

I glared at Elena, as Damon gave me a _so, you've been talking about me? _Look, a smug smirk on his lips.

Elena and Stefan were looking at Damon, not very happy. Damon was smirking at them, like he just loved pissing them off. I felt very out of loop, and very awkward just standing there.

"Okay, well, as fun as this has been- totally not awkward at all- school is awaiting, and we all know how important that place is." I said, backing out of the house.

Elena and Stefan didn't move, and Damon rolled his eyes at them. I narrowed my eyes at them. Why was it such a big deal Damon and I got drunk together? Better him than some crazy who could've raped me.

I huffed. "Fine, your asses can walk to school then." I said, before turning my back to them.

Elena broke away from the stare off, and said to me, "Just wait a minute Hailey, we'll be right there."

"You two go out to the car. I'll be right there, I just have to talk to Damon." Stefan said to her. Elena looked like she wanted to argue, but then sighed and gave in.

She walked out to me, grabbing my arm as if having to drag me from the house like a security guard.

"Bye Damon." I called over my shoulder, flashing him a smirk.

"Bye Hailey." he returned pleasantly, as Elena shut the door.

There was silence as we walked to my car, but I knew Elena wanted to say something.

"Just say it, Lena." I sighed, getting into the driver's side of the car.

She sighed too, sliding into the passenger side. After a few silent seconds, she looked at me, a very serious expression on her face.

"Hailey, you have to stay away from Damon. He's dangerous."

I bit my lip; and here I thought I was escaping from all the awkwardness.

**A/N: **thank you to: AudreyDarke96, vdemily, and aireagle92 for the reviews!

Reviews me feel loved :)


	8. living in a strange world

**Chapter seven**

**Living in a strange world**

*Damon*

Damon heard the door click shut, and smirked at his brother. Walking past him, Damon grabbed a random bottle of alcohol, and poured himself a glass. One way to fight a hangover was to get drunker. That was his favorite way.

Damon was looking forward to Stefan and Elena finding out he had gotten to the best friend. It was sure to piss them off. Though he wasn't going after Haley to piss of his brother in the beginning, if life gives you lemons…

He knew that Victoria would come up in their conversation. It's not like Damon cared, or anything, but he didn't think Hailey looking like crazy Victoria wasn't a good thing. But of course, if Hailey offed herself like her insane ancestor, it wouldn't matter to him. He just met the girl. Sure, she was hot, and fun to get drunk with. He might even sleep with her to piss of Stefan and Elena, but he didn't care about her. He just figured it would be a waste if she died.

"She looks like Victoria. Weird." He said, taking a gulp of bourbon and smirking at his brother.

Stefan opened his mouth, but Damon cut him off. "Save your breath, Stefan. I already know what you're going to say."

In a mocking 'Stefan' voice, Damon said, "Stay away from Hailey, Damon. You're going to kill her. God, why do you have to be so mean? Blah, blah, blah. Broodiness, broodiness, broodiness." He smirked and rolled his eyes.

Stefan wasn't amused. "Leave her alone, Damon. Hailey has nothing to do with whatever you hold against me."

"Fine, I won't go near Hailey, but what if she doesn't want me to stay away?" Damon smirked at Stefan's expression then left the room. Stefan, of course, followed him.

"You compelled her." Stefan said, frowning at Damon.

He rolled his eyes. "Don't frown so much, brother. You'll get wrinkles."

Damon took another sip of his drink, thinking about the human. She was unlike any human he'd ever met. Maybe Damon wouldn't kill her. Maybe she'd be some fun to have around.

"For your information, I don't need to compel Hailey to want me. I have charming personality to do that for me."

Smirking, Damon left Stefan again. He wouldn't have to kill Hailey to get to Stefan, he realized. Just mentioning little suggestive comments was bound to burst the vein in his brother's forehead.

"You better hurry off to school, brother. Wouldn't want to keep the girls waiting." He called over his should, walking down to the basement.

Even though Damon didn't like thing it, he didn't really want to kill Hailey. He liked having her around. At least, for now. Damon was the type of person who got bored with his toys quickly. But Hailey might be the exception that rule. She was already breaking his other ones.

*Hailey*

"Hailey, stay away from him." Elena repeated when I didn't say anything.

"Why should I, Elena? I like Damon, he seems cool." I answered stubbornly.

"He's a bad guy, Hailey. He's dangerous."

I raised an eyebrow. "How?" was he a rapist? A murderer?

She paused. "He… he just is, Hailey. You have stay away from him, for me. Please." Elena sounded almost desperate as she said this.

But, I would need more than just her word to stay away from him. I had more fun with Damon last night, than I ever have. Even if I couldn't remember half of it.

"I'll think about it." I said, turning on the car.

Elena frowned at me. "Hailey-"she started to say, but I cut her off.

"Look Elena, I'm gonna need more than your word to stay away from him." I said, brushing my bangs out of my face.

Elena gaped at me. "Why? We're best friends, you should just trust me."

"Yeah, well best friends tell each other when they're falling in love with a guy. No matter how complicated it is." I snapped, just as Stefan walked out of the house.

An awkward silence filled the car the entire way to school.

While walking to my first class with my brand new schedule in my hand, I spotted a familiar shirtless guy at the football field. A mischievous smirk graced my lips.

I whistled loudly, and shouted, "Yeah, Donovan, take it off!"

Matt turned around, putting on his shirt. He beamed when he saw me.

"Hailey! You're here!" he said happily, as I jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly.

Matt was the person I trusted most in the world, next to Elena- until now, I guess.

"Tyler told me you came back from California." Matt grinned, as I let go of him. We started walking towards the school; his arm slung my shoulders in a friendly way.

"So I here that you have suddenly gained bad taste in girls." I said bluntly, looking over at Matt and raising an eyebrow.

He sighed. "Glad to see you too, Hails." he said sarcastically.

"Matt, you know I'm happy to see you, you're like my brother. But you're stalling so just tell me about how the evil harpy got to you." I said.

He sighed, but said, "I know you and Caroline have your problems, but she's not that bad."

I snorted. "Yeah, and I didn't drink enough bourbon last night to fill the Atlantic Ocean." I said sarcastically.

"Drinking, Hailey? You're gonna be an alcoholic by the time you're 20." he said, obviously trying to steer the conversation away from him and Caroline.

"Stalling, Mattie? You're gonna get bitch slapped in about five seconds if you don't tell me what's going on with you and Blondie." I mocked him.

He sighed again, before answering, "Okay, Caroline and I have been dating for about a year now, and I really like her. Maybe even love her. I know you two hate each other with the burning intensity of the sun, but I care about you both, and I'd really like it if you could set aside your hatred of her, for me."

I sighed, and looked over at him, who had his puppy dog eyes set on the highest level.

"No promises." I said, sighing.

"Thank you, Hailey!" he said, hugging. I sighed, but hugged him back. Suddenly the voice that pissed me off without trying cut through the air.

"There you are Matt! I've been looking all over the place for you-" Caroline cut herself off, when she noticed me.

"Oh, Hailey, you're back, how great." she said in a voice that made it clear she didn't think it was great.

"Oh, Caroline, you're still a whore, how great for half of the male population." I repeated in the same tone of voice she used, while smirking.

Matt gaped at me, while Caroline glared, and I took that as my cue to leave.

"I said I'd try." I called to Matt, as I walked away.

"Try harder." he called back, and I rolled my eyes, as I walked into the school. Today wasn't a good day for my friendships.

I walked into History five minutes late. I ignored the teacher, who was glaring at me, and sat down in the back. Elena glared at me, and I sighed. I'd have to resolve our fight, but I just didn't want to stay away from Damon.

I thought about him, and those damn eyes. I wasn't a girl who threw away friendships for boys, but Damon was different. I sounded like a hopeless romantic, but Damon and I had a connection. And you didn't throw away connections like that without a good reason.

I closed my eyes, torn between my best friend and my drinking buddy. Why couldn't I have them both?

But I couldn't choose Damon over Elena- I didn't know him very well. I'd have to fix that.

With the teacher talking about history, I pulled my phone out, and scrolled through my contacts. I stopped at Damon; I must've gotten his number while I was drunk.

Quickly, I texted him, asking him if he wanted to hang out. Elena was watching me, looking like she knew what I was doing. I didn't meet her brown eyes, as Damon responded. He agreed to pick me up after history, and we would hang out.

I was thinking about picking a man I just met, over my best friend. It broke girl code, but there was something in those blue eyes that made it worth it.

What a strange world I was living in.

**A/N: **I stole the chapter title from the song Strange World by Parachute. The band is my latest obsession. The band's lead singer- Will Anderson- has eyes just as blue as Ian Somerholder's.

Thank you: vdemily and charmedgirl92 for reviewing!

Reviews inspire me :)


	9. dreams do come true

**Chapter eight **

**Dreams do come true**

*Hailey*

After class, I walked right past Elena to my locker. Damon was going to pick me up soon.

As I slipped on my leather jacket, Elena walked up to me. She had a stubborn glint in her eyes, but I knew that she wanted to resolve our fight.

"Where are you going?" she asked me, as I shut my locker.

"Places." I muttered, pulling my hair out of its holder, and smoothing it down, trying to make it flat.

"Here," Elena said, moving a lock of hair so that it was flat on my head.

Biting my lip, I felt bad for not trusting her judgment. Elena was my best friend- if I couldn't trust her, who could I trust?

But what if Damon wasn't like she said he was? The feeling- the attraction- was almost magnetic. I was the moth, and he was the flame. It was the kind of attraction that got hearts shattered, but also the kind that never died out.

Which was exactly why I was going to get to know Damon better, despite Elena telling me that he was 'dangerous.' But that didn't mean I had to be a bitch to my best friend.

"I'm sorry I can't tell you certain things." Elena muttered, and I sighed.

"I'm sorry I was being a bitch." I said, and Elena smiled.

"So we're good?" Elena asked, and I grinned.

"We're great." I agreed, leaning against my locker.

"So where are you going?" Elena asked, frowning slightly as if she knew the answer.

"Ditching." I said, ignoring Elena's frown.

"Hailey, you went to one class!" she sighed.

"Yeah, one more than I would've went to if my best friend wasn't a bossy nag." I muttered, and she glared at me.

'Well, I'm only a bossy nag, because you're a lazy alcoholic." She retorted.

"Touché." I said, and she laughed. I suddenly remembered that she and Stefan needed a ride home.

"Here" I said, giving her my car keys. "You break her, and I will kill you. Just saying." I said, not joking even a little.

Elena rolled her eyes. "You would marry that car if it were legal." She muttered.

"Damn straight." I smirked, and then felt my phone vibrate.

"Okay, I gotta go. Later Lena." I said, walking towards the front entrance.

"Wait, how are you leaving then?" she called, my car keys dangling in her hand. I pretended not to hear her, and disappeared into the crowd of students.

Damon was waiting for me, and I absentmindedly checked out his car. It was like mine, but a pretty blue. My dad had made me into a car fanatic.

"Nice car." I said, slipping into the passenger side. "Mine's better."

Damon smirked as he drove out of the school parking lot. "I doubt that."

I rolled my eyes. "Yours is pretty and all, but mine is just plain sexy." I said, smirking.

"Why don't you just marry it?" he retorted, and I laughed.

"Sadly, it's illegal. I've checked."

At the grill, I forced myself to stop drinking after having a rum and coke. I didn't want to have Elena come and get me, and find out I was going against her wishes and basically saying that I didn't trust her.

"I don't understand how you can stand beer- It's disgusting." My nose wrinkled as Damon drank some of his beer. Despite having an obvious drinking problem, I couldn't stand beer.

Damon shrugged. "You learn to like it." He said, as I picked the tomatoes off of my cheeseburger.

"You don't like tomatoes? What's wrong with you?" Damon frowned as if I had morally offended him.

"Well, if I to list all of them off, we'd be here all night." I joked, brushing my bangs out of my eyes before taking a bite.

Damon's eyes traveled to the ring on my finger. "Where'd you get that?" he asked, looking as if he had seen it before.

"My Dad gave it to me for my fifteenth." I said. "My mom thinks it's ugly, so I that's why I wear it." It was definitely one of the reasons, though I couldn't tell him the biggest one.

Damon laughed, and then asked. "You don't get along with your mother very well, do you?"

I shook my head. "It's a very long story; we'd be here all night if I told it." I said, picking at my French fries.

"I met her this morning, at the council meeting." He grinned when I grimaced.

"You're on the council? And I thought you were cool." I muttered, and he glared at me.

"I'm awesome," he said, stealing some of my fries. "And I'm on the council because it provides certain advantages." I frowned when he didn't explain any further, but didn't push him.

"Like I was saying, Holly is… a little much. I'm eighty-five percent sure she was hitting on me." He said, and my nose wrinkled.

"What a slut." I muttered, and Damon raised his eyebrows.

"I know what it's like, having a parent who you hate. My father always liked Stefan better than me. He never approved of anything I did- even called me a disappointment a few times." He had a bitter look on his face as he talked about his dad.

"You too?" I gasped overdramatically. "We should start a club."

He half smiled, as I stole some of his onion rings. We ate in silence for a few minutes, but it wasn't an awkward silence.

"Elena doesn't know you're with me, does she?" he asked bluntly, and I shook my head.

"No, we're already on the rocks. If she found out that I went against her warning…" I shook my head. "She doesn't like you." I told Damon bluntly, and he smirked.

"I know, she loves telling me that to my face." He said, and I laughed.

"If you know that Elena will be mad if she finds out, why are you here?" he asked curiously.

I shrugged. "I've never been one to do as told." I said.

He smirked. "We have that in common." He said, as he gave me his onion rings, and took my French fries.

Damon and I had a lot in common.

Damon was driving me home, as the sun was slowly setting. It was almost six, and we had spent the entire day talking and playing pool. And the entire time, I just wanted to grab him by his leather jacket and kiss him. The only thing that stopped me was that I actually liked him as a friend.

Damon pulled to a stop in front of my house, and I got out of his car. To my surprise, he followed me out of my car to my front door.

"Are you glad that you ignored Elena?" he asked me bluntly, as I leaned against my front door.

"I haven't decided yet." I teased with a smirk.

He smirked back at me, and then turned his back. "Later Hailey." He said, walking to his car.

"Wait." I blurted out, walking towards him.

When Damon turned to face me, I grabbed him by the leather jacket, and kissed him.

I could tell he was surprised, but he kissed me back. His hand ran up into my hair, while the other pulled me closer. I pulled away suddenly, and he frowned at me.

"Have a nice night, Damon." I smirked and walked up to my door.

I heard him laugh slightly. "You'll pay for that, Hailey." He called, as I shut the door.

Grinning, I felt like I could run a marathon. I closed my eyes, and rested against the front door. That was the best kiss I'd ever had.

"And where have you been?"

I turned to face my mom, who looked angry. I narrowed my eyes at her- she was killing my buzz.

"Like you care." I retorted, walking around her to the stairs.

"Hailey Anne Ellis!" she shouted after me.

I ignored her yelling, and slammed my bedroom door shut. Ellie purred, and rubbed her face against my legs. I picked her up and scratched her, as I sat down on my bed and turned on my cell phone. My eyes widened, when I saw what I had missed. 20 text messages. 15 voice mails. 34 missed calls. All from Elena.

I called her, wondering what had happened.

"Alright, where's the fire?" I joked when she answered.

"Hailey! Thank god! I was so worried!" she said, sounding relieved beyond relief.

"Just because I didn't respond to your messages or answer your calls doesn't mean I'm dead, Lena." I teased.

"It's not that, Hailey. Didn't you hear?"

"Hear what?" I asked, confused.

"Hailey, there was an animal attack. A girl was killed. They hadn't released any names, and since you weren't answering- I was so scared…" she trailed off, and instantly felt guilty for putting her through that.

"Well I'm fine, Lena. Calm down, or you're gonna have a heart attack." I said, wondering who had died and if I knew her.

"I'm fine, Hailey. Oh! Turn on your TV to channel 5! They're doing an update on the attack." I stayed on the phone, as I turned on the TV, and changed it to channel five.

Sure enough, there was a handsome news reporter on the screen, with the wordsbreaking news on the bottom of the screen. When I noticed where he was though, my stomach dropped a hundred feet, and I felt sick_._

He was reporting at the exact location where my nightmare took place.

"_To __all you people at home just tuning in, we have breaking news. Today around 3 o'clock in the afternoon, 16 year old Carly Fell was brutally attacked and killed by an animal while jogging. Her body was found by other joggers around an hour later. She was already dead by the time they found her. Eye witnesses report that she had multiple bite marks where the animals had bit her. Police have not clarified whether or not this attack is related to the animal attacks that had happened last year. Stay tuned for more information involving this terrifying tragedy."_

I tuned out the rest of his babble, dropping my phone as I went into shock.

Carly. Jogging. Attack. Bite marks. Dead.

I guess dreams really do come true.

**A/N: **thank you to: charmedgirl92 and Angelfang for reviewing!

Reviews make me smile!


	10. vampires

**Chapter nine**

**Vampires**

*Hailey*

I stared at my wall, feeling as if I were a statue. I could faintly hear Elena talking through the phone on my floor, but I couldn't move. All that I could think about was that I had predicted Carly's death, and in my vision no animal brutally attacked her. It was a person.

Hell, if I were drunk enough I'd say that it was a vampire. But vampires aren't real. But I move things with my mind, and predict the future. I'm not supposed to be real either.

I groaned, running my hands over my face. I was so torn and confused and _scared. _

"_The families will pay for what they did to us."_

I just happened to be a founding family member.

It was eight as I continued pacing in my room, arguing with myself. Ellie was watching me, looking amused and worried for my health at the same time. Sometimes I scared myself, acting like she was a person instead of a cat.

It could just have been some crazy sick person, who broke out of the mental hospital. Which is where I'm going if anyone heard me arguing with myself.

But on one hand, maybe vampires are real. Maybe they're pissed off at my town, and want to kill the founding families.

Maybe it was just some crazy who killed Carly, and I was so drunk I imagined the biting.

They said on the news that there was bite marks, though.

I probably imagined that, too.

I sighed loudly, I was going crazy. I had to stop arguing with myself.

Suddenly, I heard a loud crashing noise. i opened my eyes to see a long crack in my wall, from the ceiling to my floor.

I took a deep breath- I was going to destroy my room if I didn't calm down. I needed to get out of my room, out of my mind. I considered getting drunk, but two nights in a row was bad, even for me. So instead, I decided I would go to Elena's. I could get my car back too.

It wasn't smart, walking alone at night when there may or may not be a crazy man- or vampire- running around killing founding family members. But I sprinted the entire time, and had my hands ready if someone tried to attack.

When I reached Elena's front porch, I knocked on the door, then took breaths, feeling like I might pass out from lack of oxygen.

"Hailey?"

I looked up at Jenna, and tried to smile but it came out as a grimace.

"Hey…. Jus-just give me sec to breathe, kay? I said, leaning against the house for support.

"Did you run here?" Jenna asked, her eyes widening.

I nodded my head, closing my eyes. "I think… I think my lung is going to burst." I gasped out.

"Hailey Ellis! Are you not aware that there is an animal that just killed running around? You could have died!" Jenna exclaimed, helping me into the house.

"That's why I ran." I smirked slightly, lying down on the couch.

"Well, Elena's not here. She went to Stefan's, I think." Jenna said, giving me a glass of water.

After chugging the water, I felt better. But my heart was still hammering. "She didn't happen to leave my car keys, did she?"

Jenna gave me my keys, and I felt slightly better having my car back. "I'm gonna go find Elena." I told Jenna, before driving to the Salvatore boarding house.

I didn't want to be alone at that moment, alone with my thoughts. And I knew that if I couldn't find Elena, that my next stop would be the bar.

I pulled to a stop in front of the boarding house. Getting out, I heard yelling come from the house. I walked to the door and knocked on it. If Elena wasn't here, I could hang out with Damon. I'd even get to know Stefan some more, and threaten to hunt him down and kill him if he hurt Elena.

When no one answered, I opened the door and walked in.

"Hello?" I called, looking for anyone, but the house seemed to be empty.

"Hailey?"

I looked to the left and saw Elena with her arms over her chest, looking angry and hurt.

"Hey, I went to your-"I started to say, but she cut me off.

"Were you with Damon today?"

I froze at her question. Like I really needed this to happen right now.

"Wow, this isn't the right house. I'm sorry miss, I'll be going now." I turned to run out the door, but Elena grabbed my arm.

"You said you were going to stay away from him!" she said, her brown eyes narrowed at me.

"Actually, I said no such thing. You just assumed." I pointed out, but she just glared at me.

"What do I have to do to prove to you Damon is dangerous?" she exclaimed, and I was annoyed with the tall, blue eyed man.

"He told you?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"He had to." Elena muttered.

I bit my lip and sighed. Elena and i had been best friends since birth. I couldn't throw that away. "I'm sorry, Lena." I said, thinking fast. "I'll stay away from him. I promise."

She looked up at me and raised an eyebrow. "You promise?" she asked.

_Please don't make me pinky promise, _I thought as I nodded my head. Pinky promises were sacred between us- if she made me promise, I really would have to stay away.

Thankfully, she didn't, just slowly smiled at me. I hugged her, feeling slightly guilty. "Did you want to hang out?" she asked the anger and hurt fading from her brown eyes.

"Actually, I think I'm just gonna go home. I'm really tired." I lied, backing towards the door.

"Oh, okay. Just don't get drunk, okay?" she joked, picking up on my strange behavior.

I nodded, and then left the house. I found it hard to look Elena in the eyes, Because I had every intention on breaking the promise I just made.

I didn't sleep very well that night.

*Damon*

As he walked into his house, his mind kept going back to the kiss he just received from Hailey. It was a surprise, and Damon liked to think that he wasn't easy to surprise.

Still, it was a good thing. He liked Hailey, and he liked having her around. The kissing just made her that much more fun, especially because kissing usually leaded to sex. Damon chose to ignore the fireworks that went off when she kissed him- fireworks that hadn't gone off for him since he had kissed Katherine.

"What did you do, Damon?"

Damon looked up to see his brother glaring at him like he had killed somebody. Elena was behind him wearing the same expression. But Damon hadn't killed anybody since Boston, almost four months ago.

"I don't know, but I'm sure you'll tell me, Stefan." Damon said, smirking slightly. If this was about Hailey, Damon was going to snap his brother's neck. That conversation was a very boring one.

"You killed Carly Fell." Elena said, glaring at him. Damon raised his eyebrows.

"Never heard of her- but she sounds hot." He said, taking off his jacket and acting like his brother and his brother's girlfriend weren't accusing him of murder.

"She's dead." Stefan said bluntly.

"Sucks for her." Damon shot back.

Damon hadn't killed this Fell girl; he had been with Hailey all day. There wouldn't be any time to kill her.

"Just admit that you killed her." Elena demanded, her judgy little eyes narrowed at him.

Damon rolled his. "Hate to spoil all of your fun, but I didn't kill anybody." Damon said, already bored with this conversation.

"Prove it." Stefan asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Fine," Damon said, and without thinking, he added, "I was with Hailey all day. You can ask her yourself."

Damon turned to Elena who looked hurt. "What, Elena? Didn't your best friend tell you?" he said, smirking. He was tempted to add that she kissed him, but then Hailey might never forgive him. And strangely, he cared if Hailey was mad at him or not.

Just then, he heard a car pull to a stop in front of their house. Smirking, he said, "Seems like she's here now. As much fun as it would be to watch the fight that is bound to happen…" Damon walked right past Elena and Stefan, and up to his room.

When he was alone, he frowned to himself. If he didn't kill Carly Fell, who did?

**A/N: **thank you to: aireagle92, Carrie9596, vdemily, and shannathebold for reviewing!

Reviews inspire me!


	11. it's a date

**Chapter ten**

**It's a date**

*Hailey*

The guilt from lying to Elena mixed with the fear that my dream vision might be real kept me up half the night. So, when my alarm went off the next morning, I really wanted to hit the snooze button.

Still, I sluggishly got up and took a shower. I managed to get the energy to put on makeup and do my hair, since I might be seeing Damon today. I put on the jeans that looked really good on me, and a red shirt that managed to show the right amount of cleavage without making me look like a slut. I felt a little embarrassed, that I was making myself look good for a guy that I promised my best friend I'd stay away from.

The Elena situation still gnawed at my stomach, like some sort of disease that ate you alive. I felt incredibly guilty, lying to her, but there was just something about Damon Salvatore that made it worth it.

I walked down the stairs, only stopping in the kitchen to get the coffee I desperately needed. I ignored my mother, who stared at my outfit like it was personally offending her.

"Hailey, I need to talk-"she started to say, but I cut her off.

"Sorry, mom. Don't wanna be late for school." I said walking, towards the door.

"Hailey Anne!" she shouted after me. "Don't you walk away from me! I am your mother!"

Ignoring my mom, I slammed the front door shut. I was about to walk to my car, when I realized that there was a familiar blue one parked right next to it.

"And you said that your car was better than mine."

I grinned when I saw Damon leaning against his car, smirking. I was suddenly very glad that I made myself look good instead of going to school in sweatpants and with no makeup on like I wanted to.

"It is." I said, walking up to him. I absentmindedly smoothed my hair down.

"Want a ride to school? I'll buy you breakfast." He said, like the breakfast was the enticing part of the deal, and not being with him. I mentally slapped myself; only Damon had the ability to change me into a self-conscious, boy-obsessed school girl.

"Hmm…" I said, acting like I really had to think about it. Damon raised his eyebrows at me, knowing that I was just teasing him.

"I suppose school can wait…" I smirked, before walking to the passenger side of his car. But before I could open the door, Damon grabbed my shoulder, and spun me around.

Before I could even raise my eyebrows, he kissed me. It was fierce and passionate, and left me wanting more, and Damon pulled away before I could even kiss him back.

I frowned at him, and he just smirked, walking away to the driver's side of car.

"I told you I would get you back." He smirked, turning on his car.

"Well, now you've started a war, Salvatore." I said, getting into the passenger's side.

A kissing war with Damon- that didn't sound fun at all.

It was 8:00 and I was munching on bacon at a pancake house, with Damon across the table from me. I should be in History right now, but I'd much rather be here.

My phone rang, and I answered it. I expected to hear Elena's voice, nagging me on how I should be in class.

"Yeah?" I asked, chewing on bacon.

"Hailey! If you ever walk away from me while I'm talking to you, I'm sending you to a catholic private school!" my mother's voice threatened, and I sighed.

"Ugh, what mom? I'm busy." I asked. Hearing her voice ruined my Damon buzz.

"I want to talk to you."

"We all want things- doesn't mean that we're going to get them." I said, ready to hang up.

"Hailey, if you hang up this phone, I'm going to sell your cat." she threatened.

I froze, and narrowed my eyes. "You wouldn't."

"I would."

"I won't let you."

"She'll be gone by the time you get home."

I sighed, knowing that I had no choice. "Fine, speak."

"The annual Founder's Ball is tonight, and you need to go-"

I cut her off. "Wait, they're having a party the day after a girl died? Don't you think that's in poor taste, mom?"

"It's not my decision, Hailey. The council believes that it would help take everyone's mind off of the tragedy. Besides the ball was planned months in advance, and we can't change it now."

"Isn't there something you can do? You _are _a member of the council. There has to be something you can do to stop this party." I said, desperate not to go to the party.

"No, there isn't actually. And even if there was, I think we should have this party. Why do you care anyways? Did you even like Carly Fell?" she asked, and I sighed.

"No, not really, but that doesn't matter. We should be mourning, not celebrating." I tried again, and I could see Damon smirking at my desperation.

"You just don't want to go- which you have to, or I'll get rid of the cat. But I really don't understand why you wouldn't want to go, you love parties." My mom said, and I rolled my eyes.

"Mom, I love parties with kegs, beer pong, and quarters. Not parties with gross music and me having to pretend that I like half the people there." I said, already shuddering at the thought.

"Hailey-"

"'You're a disgrace to this family' or 'Hailey, why can't you act like a normal teenage girl' or 'why, oh, why did I drink during my pregnancy?' take your pick, I like them all." I smirked at Damon, and he laughed silently.

"Why can't I have a daughter who's not a smartass?" she complained.

"I like that one too." I said, and she growled.

"You need a date. Arnold Fell is in town for Carly's funeral, and has agreed to go with you. He's a political science major in college, and is really excited to go with you." My mom said, and I glared up at the ceiling.

Arnold Fell was a greasy hair nerd, who always liked to flirt with me at parties. Of course he agreed to go with me.

"Gross, I'm not going to go with a nerd that my mom set me up with. I can find my own date, thank you very much." I said, my nose wrinkling.

"Fine, Hailey. Just no tattoos or police records. He has to be decent, and if either of you embarrass me, the cat goes." She said, reading my mind.

_Damn it, _I thought. "Well, as much fun as this conversation has been, my bacon's getting cold." I said, then hung up on my mom.

I looked at Damon, and raised an eyebrow. "There's no way you can get this party canceled, is there?" I asked, remembering that he was in the council.

"I already tried." He said, as I sipped my coffee. "Kissing ass is as fun for me as it is for you."

I sighed, I guess I was stuck. Now I had to find a date, probably a boring one too. I could ask Tyler, only that would please my mother too much.

I looked at Damon again, and then a thought struck me. I could ask him.

"You're going to the party, right?" I asked him, hoping that I didn't embarrass myself by asking him.

"Yeah, I guess I have to." He said, then looked at me and raised his eyebrow.

"Why?" he asked with a slow smirk.

"No reason." I shrugged, hoping that I wasn't blushing.

"Are you asking me out, Miss Ellis?" he smirked, and I grinned.

"Depends." I said.

"On what?" he asked.

"Your answer."

Damon laughed, as he paid the bill and we walked to his car. I was nervous, and felt my heart start to pound in my chest.

"Well, if you asking me out, I'd say-" he suddenly cut himself off and kissed me, leaving me breathless.

I gasped for air as he pulled away. He smirked at me, before continuing the walk to his car. I ran to catch up to him.

"What would you say?" I asked, impatient. He laughed, sensing this.

"I'd say that it's a date."

**A/N: **thank you to: charmedgirl92 and aireagle92 for reviewing!

Reviews make me feel loved 3


	12. not the cheerleading type

**Chapter eleven**

**Not the cheerleading type**

*Hailey*

As Damon pulled up to the school, I was blissed out from him agreeing to go to the founder's ball with me. Maybe the party wouldn't suck after all.

After looking around to make sure that no one could see us, I kissed Damon, my arms wrapping around his neck. He kissed me back, his hand supporting my neck since he was about six inches taller than me.

I managed to pull away, since Elena could walk in on us at any time. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart, as I grabbed my back pack.

"Thanks for breakfast." I smirked as I reached for the door handle.

"No problem," he smirked back. "When should I pick you up tonight?"

"seven thirty," I said, getting out of his car. "And if you not that I'm telling you to bring whiskey- bourbon, preferably- you would shoot up on my list of favorite people if you did. Not that you have to, of course."

Damon smirked at me as I shut the door, and pushed my bangs out of my face. "I got the hint, Hails." He said in a slight mocking tone.

I stuck my tongue out at him, before blowing him a mocking kiss. He rolled his eyes playfully, before driving away. I smiled slightly to myself, as I walked towards my locker. I had already missed the first two periods, and was probably going to be late for the third.

"Why weren't you at tryouts?"

I looked up at Caroline, who was glaring at me. She had her hands on her hips, and a blonde eyebrow raised.

"Um, what tryouts?" I asked, mocking her position.

"Cheerleading tryouts of course! Why weren't you there?"

"Because I don't want to be a cheerleader. I mean honestly Caroline, I know you're a walking dumb blonde joke, but do I really look like the cheerleading type?" I said, rolling my eyes.

"If you're not the cheerleading type, then why did you sign up?" she asked, confused.

I bit my lip to hold back the insults. It really was too easy with her.

"I didn't." I said really slowly.

"Yeah, you did. See." she showed me a piece of paper that was labeled cheerleading tryouts. Under it was a list of names, each in different handwriting. She pointed to one name; Hailey Ellis.

"See, you signed up. So why didn't you show up?"

"Because I didn't sign up. That's not my handwriting." I said, confused.

She peered at my name, then back at me. "Then who wrote down your name?" she asked, equally confused.

I looked at my name, the handwriting very familiar. and when I finally recognized it, I narrowed my eyes angrily.

"I know whose." I said, turning around and walking towards the direction of Elena's next class.

"Tryouts continue after school. See you then!" Caroline called pleasantly back to me, and I rolled my eyes at her.

"I wouldn't hold my breath, Caroline. Wait. actually, do hold it." I shot back at her. I turned the corner, and saw Elena and Stefan by a picnic table. I walked angrily up to them.

"You signed me up for cheerleading? Are you high, Elena?" I said to her, surprising them.

"How'd you find out?" she asked me, backing away from me.

"Caroline came up to me moments ago, and asked me why I wasn't at tryouts. and then we had a nice little conversation about how my name was on the signup sheet, but guess what? It's not my handwriting! Can you guess whose it was?" I asked in a sarcastically perky voice.

"I'm gonna let you two talk." Stefan said quickly, walking away from us. I smirked at his retreating figure; he was a smart man.

Elena sighed, and glared at her boyfriend's body, walking farther into the distance. Then she said, "I'm sorry, I should've asked you, but I think it would be good for you."

I gave her a 'you must be high' look when she said that. "Good for me? Elena, I'm not the cheerleader, you are. I don't get involved in everything, you do. I just show up here- sometimes- and make sarcastic and cynical comments about everything and everyone. That's my thing!" I exclaimed, angry with my best friend.

"Hailey, it help you make friends, and help you work with a team- two things you need help with. I think you would like it." Elena insisted.

"I'm gonna explain this only once, Elena. There are two types of people in this world; the type who are cheerleaders, and the type who throw things at cheerleaders. I'm the second type." I said, crossing my arms over my chest. I was not backing down on this one.

"Come on, Hailey! It would be fun! And I know you can do it too, since you took gymnastics since you were six all the way up to freshman year. Why won't you do it?" she asked, exasperated.

"Because Elena, I'm not a cheerleader! You don't even cheer anymore, so how could you ask me to do it? I'm the opposite of a preppy goody-goody who's involved in every single activity the school has to offer- I'm the anti-Caroline. I thought you knew me better than this!" I exclaimed, clenching my hands tightly.

"Are you finished with your tantrum?" Elena asked calmly, putting a hand on her hip.

"Yeah I am, and I'm not doing it." I said firmly, crossing my arms over my chest.

Elena frowned for a second, then smirked. I frowned at her, on my guard. What was she planning?

"Fine." Elena said, walking away. "If you don't want to be a cheerleader, I can't make you. Besides, you'd probably be a bad one."

My frown deepened, and I followed her. "I know what you're doing, and it's not going to work." I said cautiously.

Elena turned to face me, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I'm not doing anything, Hailey. I'm just saying the truth. Besides, Caroline would be much happier without you on her team." She said casually, and that's when Elena finally broke me.

"No she won't, because I'm trying out. I'm gonna be a damn good cheerleader, Elena. I'm gonna be better than all those cheer bitches." I muttered angrily, marching to my locker. I was too angry to realize Elena tricked me, or to notice the victorious smirk on her lips.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into doing this." I whispered angrily to Elena as I sat in the bleachers after school, for the cheerleading tryouts. Elena had come along to watch and make sure I didn't run away.

"Well, it's not my fault that you always fall for reverse phycology." she whispered back, fixing my high pony tail.

I glared at her. "I don't always fall for it." I defended myself, pushing her hands away.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Please, whenever somebody tells you that you can't do something, you do it just to prove them wrong." She smirked.

I glared at her again, knowing that she was right. Elena just smirked at me, and I sighed angrily- I really didn't want to do this.

"Okay, next is Hailey Ellis." Caroline announced, looking at her clipboard. She was standing to the side of a soccer field that the cheerleaders were using for their auditions.

I sighed, and automatically looked for escape routes, and sighed again when I found none. "Good luck." Elena said to me, and I just glared.

I groaned, before standing up and smoothing down my blue tank top, and black shorts. I walked into the field, my head held high, as people murmured about Hailey Ellis- the resident anti-cheerleader- trying out to be one. I felt everyone's eyes on me, but I wasn't one to get stage fright.

"You can start anytime you want." Caroline said to me cheerfully, and I took a deep breath. I could do this- I would prove everyone who says that Hailey Ellis can't be a cheerleader, wrong.

I had been in gymnastics since I was seven, and was very capable at the routine part of cheerleading. It was the smiling without seeming sarcastic and cheering part that I would have issues with.

My muscles protested as I flipped all over my place. I was going to be very sore, since I haven't done any sort of gymnastics since I was fifteen. I quit after my dad died, because it all reminded me too much of him. He was very supportive of me being a gymnast.

I ended with a split that made me groan in pain- I would be feeling that in the morning. Everyone cheered, and Elena looked proud. I just glared at her- I was still mad at her for tricking me into this.

"Good job, Hailey," Caroline said, looking impressed. "Now, if you could do a cheer for us…" she gestured for me start.

I stared blankly at her. Oh shit.

"Cheering?" I said, like I never heard of the word. "Uh, you see, I'm not really a cheerer." I added, biting my lip.

"Well, dear then why are you trying out to be a _cheer_leader?" Caroline asked, like I was stupid.

_Because my best friend is more manipulative then she lets on, _I thought, gritting my teeth.

"It doesn't have to be complicated, just say, 'Go Timberwolves!' but make it peppy. you know get the crowd pumped." she added, tossing me some pompoms.

I sighed, and then waved the pompoms slightly in the air. "Go Timberwolves?" I muttered, raising an eyebrow.

Caroline stared at me blankly, as people in the crowd snickered. Suddenly, I felt my competiveness get the best of me, and blurted out, "Wait, let me redo that."

Caroline nodded, and I took a deep breath. I thought back to all the Bring It On movies that Elena had me watch, and channeled Peppy Cheerleader.

"Go Timberwolves!" I said loudly, a huge smile plastered on my face, as I shook the pompoms in the air.

Everyone was frozen, shocked expressions on their faces. I smirked at them, before I walking back to Elena, handing Caroline the pompoms as I passed. She looked in awe, as she took them from me.

"G-good job, Hailey." She murmured, blinking a couple times. My smirk grew wider, pleased with myself.

"Oh. My. God." Elena said to me, when I sat down next to her. Everyone seemed to be unfreezing from the shock my sudden peppiness caused them.

"I had no idea you had that in you." she added.

I smirked at her. "I had to go to a very dark place to make that happen, Elena. So don't say I didn't try during my audition." I said, still feeling out of it.

"I won't, I just- I'm in awe, Hailey, yet I feel as if the universe is off balance now." Elena continued, and I smirked at her.

"Yeah, you'll probably have to go get wasted, or mouth off to a teacher, or get in a fist fight. Just to put the universe back in balance." I said. Elena rolled her eyes at me, but she grinned.

After another thirty minutes, the tryouts were finally over. "Thank you to everyone who tried out. A list of who made the squad will be posted online at the school's website tonight at nine. bye, and have a safe drive home." the Caroline said.

As Elena was helping me get my things together, I saw Matt and Tyler by the bleachers. I slung my backpack on to my shoulders, and started walking towards them.

"I'll be back. Don't leave without me." I called to Elena, as she grabbed her own bag.

"Now there's a tempting thought." she muttered, walking towards the parking lot. She smiled innocently at me, as I narrowed my eyes.

"Whatever, you know you love me." I teased, and she laughed.

I walked away from her, towards Matt and Tyler. Tyler- being the man slut that he was- was flirting with a pretty junior, who looked really into him. A wicked smile fell on my lips, as a plan formulated in my mind.

I took a deep breath, getting into the zone, and then marched straight up to Tyler, an angry and upset look on my face. He raised an eyebrow at me, and then froze in shock as I slapped him hard across the face.

"How dare you Tyler! I let you out of my sight for a minute, and you're already flirting with another girl?" I yelled at him, pushing his shoulder. Then I touched my stomach and whispered, "Think of the baby!"

The girl's eyes widened. She looked from me to Tyler, as I narrowed my eyes at the "home wrecker." She settled on Tyler, and shuffled uncomfortably. "I'll see you later, Tyler. You two obviously have some problems to work out.

"Laurie, wait!" Tyler said, as she walked away, but it just made her start to run.

I burst out laughing, as Matt shook with silent laughter. Tyler whirled around and glared daggers at me.

"What the hell, Hailey? Why'd you say that? And why'd you slap me? It really hurt!" he yelled at me, touching the red handprint on his cheek.

I managed to stop laughing to answer, "One, I made you look like a jackass- which is not a hard task. Two, I thought it would be hilarious- which it was. and three, I got to slap you- which is always fun."

"Why am I friends with you?" he asked me, still glaring slightly.

"You know, I've been getting that a lot." I mused, sitting down on the bleachers.

"I'm not surprised." he mumbled. I glared, and then slapped him upside the head.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, backing away from me. Matt and I both laughed.

"Enough with the hitting please." he whined, and I smirked at him.

"I have a question, Hailey." Matt said to me, changing the subject.

"Shoot." I said, pushing my hair out of my face.

"Why did you try out to be a cheerleader?" he asked, and Tyler burst out laughing.

"When you cheered, I wish I had a video camera. it was hilarious!" Tyler exclaimed, and I glared at him

"Elena tricked me into doing it." I explained, frowning at Tyler.

"It was hilarious." Tyler interrupted again, a huge grin on his face. This time, I kicked him in the side.

"Ow! God, why you are so violent?" he said, walking to the other side of Matt, using him as a barrier.

"same reason you're an ass." I retorted, and he glared.

"But you were really good, Hailey. You'll definitely make the team." Matt said, trying to change the subject before I killed Tyler.

"God, I hope not." I groaned, covering my face.

"Well, I do. you being a cheerleader is one of the funniest yet terrifying things ever. it should be one of the signs of the apocalypse." Tyler laughed, but my glare shut him up.

"You know what? I'm gonna leave before I get hit again." he said, walking away from us.

"Yeah that'd be smart." I said, and Matt laughed.

"What's so funny?" we both turned to see Caroline, and I groaned.

"And that's my cue to leave. Bye Matt. Bye B.F.H." I said, walking towards the parking lot.

"What's a B.F.H?" Caroline asked blankly.

"Bitch from Hell." I translated, smirking at her. Caroline glared at me.

"Hailey…" Matt said in a warning tone.

"It's okay Matt. She's just bitter because it's past 5 and she's not drunk yet." Caroline retorted, smirking.

My eyes widened at her comeback, but they narrowed quickly.

"Caroline!" Matt said, chiding her.

"No, Matt, it's fine. She's just crabby because being such a slut can get really tiring." I snapped back. Caroline glared at me.

"I am not a slut!" she exclaimed, walking up to me.

"Oh, well you could've fooled me," I shrugged, feeling anger boil up in my veins.

"You alcoholic bitch! You're just jealous." she sneered.

"Jealous Of what? The fact that all your so-called friends hate you? Or that you're peeking in high school, and that the rest of your life will be hell? Or that you're gonna be stuck here the rest of your life, lonely because no man in their right mind would ever, ever want to marry you? You're so right Caroline, I'm totally jealous!" I said the last part sarcastically.

"No, Hailey, you're jealous because at least I _have _friends. I _have _a boyfriend. And what do you have? Nothing. You're an alcoholic freak and if you died tomorrow, honestly, no one would care. Even your own mom doesn't like you, and your dad killed himself just to get away from you." She said cruelly.

I was shaking in anger when she said that. There was a rumor in town, that my dad killed himself. He died in a car accident- he drove into a wall. The true cause of death was that he swerved to miss something in the road and crashed, but there was no evidence that anything was there. I didn't say anything, I was too pissed off. Besides, I don't think that there was anything nastier to say then what's she already said to me.

Caroline smirked at me when I didn't respond, and turned and walked away from me, obviously thinking that she won.

I glared at the back of her head. then I walked up to her and said, "Hey Caroline?"

Caroline turned around to face me automatically, and when she did, I punched her square in the jaw, hard. Her head flew to the side, and he cried out in pain, holding her jaw.

"That's for talking about my dad." I said in a shaky voice. Then I punched her again, this time in the nose, knocking her backwards onto the ground.

"That's for calling me an alcoholic freak." I yelled angrily at her, while she cried out in pain.

I kicked her swiftly in the stomach. "And that's because I just don't like you."

I walked away from Caroline, just as people rushed in to help her. I kept walking, until I met up with Elena, who didn't see what happened.

"What happen, Hailey?" she asked me, trying to see what happened.

I grabbed her arm, and pulled her with me to the parking lot. I was eager to get off school property before teachers showed up and I got in trouble.

"Nothing important, let's just go." I lied, dragging her to the car.

We finally made it to the car, and Elena drove towards my house. I was still high off of my adrenaline rush. I didn't even notice or care that my hand hurt like hell. The only thing that I could think about was that I got to beat Caroline Forbes up.

This was the best day of my life.

**A/N: **I really considered cutting out this chapter, but I had too many things tied with Hailey being a cheerleader, to cut it. Besides, I kind of like the irony of Hailey- resident badass- being a cheerleader.

Anyone watch the latest TVD? I'm still recovering from it. I won't say anything in case someone didn't watch it yet, but I really liked it. I got to see Ian Somerholder- the love of my life- and I also got to see Joseph Morgan, who is no Ian, but I am definitely crushing on Klaus. My friend Haley (yes, I stole her name, but I did spell it different!) thinks I'm crazy, and that Joseph isn't hot, but he's definitely on my list of actors that I'm in love with.

So, moving on from my pointless babble, thank you to: aireagle92, marie potter riddle, jacquline, carrie9586, and vdemily for reviewing!

Reviews inspire me to write!

P.S, I'm back in school this week- I was on winter break before- so that's why I haven't been updating at least once a day like I used to, just so you guys know.


	13. hot date

**Chapter twelve**

**Hot date**

*Hailey*

"So, why don't you have your car?" Elena asked, as she pulled to a stop in front of my house.

"Uh, my mom gave me a ride." I lied, and Elena raised her eyebrows.

"Why would she do that?" Elena asked, and I was pretty sure that she thought that I was with Damon- which I was.

"So that she could talk to me about going to the Founder's ball." I grimaced, and Elena relaxed, buying my lie.

"Oh, okay then. Am I going to be seeing you tonight?" she asked, as I grabbed my backpack.

"I… don't think so." I said, biting my lip. This was going to be hard, hiding Damon from Elena.

"Why not?" she asked, frowning.

"Because I have a hot date," I said, and Elena's eyebrows shot up.

"Who is he? Do I get to meet him?" she questioned.

I smirked at her as I got out of the car. "Nope." I said, swinging my bag onto my shoulder.

"Why not?" she asked and I tried really hard to ignore the hurt in her eyes.

"Because… I don't want to jinx it?" I said, before walking quickly to the front door.

"Wait, Hailey!" Elena shouted after me, but I just slammed the door behind me. _That wasn't suspicious at all, _I thought sarcastically to myself.

I walked into the kitchen, and grabbed a cupcake from the counter. I bit into the chocolate frosting, as I walked to the fridge for some milk. That's when I noticed the yellow paper stuck to the fridge by a magnet.

I sighed, and pulled it off. I was glad I had chocolate, as I sat down to read my mom's note.

_Hailey-_

_I left early to go help Carol Lockwood set up. I put a dress that you can wear on your bed. I also left you some shoes and accessories too. And for your hair and makeup, you should wear your hair up, and I don't think you should wear any makeup since you usually look like a hooker when you apply it yourself._

_You should be here by eight at the latest. And I swear to god, if you're a no show Hailey, that cat will be the first thing to go._

_-Holly_

_P.S, I need you to go through the box of Ellis family artifacts, and look for your great-great-uncle's watch. Bring it to the ball._

I laughed humorlessly, and crumpled the piece of paper into a ball and threw it at the wall, pissed off at my mom. I had half a mind to just not go tonight, but I couldn't risk Ellie like that.

I got up and grabbed the musty cardboard box that was sitting on the counter, and trudged to my room. I took satisfaction in hearing the tacky candy dish my mom loved shatter into a million pieces.

I petted Ellie quickly, as I walked into my room. I dropped the box on the floor, hearing a couple fragile items break, but I was too busy looking at the hideous dress on my bed. My eyes focused on the outfit on my bed, and my nose wrinkled in disgust. It was all pink and with a lot of ruffles, and I knew that there was no way that I would be wearing that.

I smirked to myself, as I tossed the ugly dress and it's accessories out the window. It landed in a pile of mud, and I laughed. Just because my mom was making me behave, didn't mean that I had to dress like a ruffle wearing goody-goody.

I walked to my closet, and flipped through the small amount of dresses that I owned. I stopped at a lacy red dress that looked good on me, and that my mom hated. I set that and a pair of strappy heels on my bed, and then turned to the box of old Ellis family crap.

I went through it, finding smaller boxes inside the huge box. I set a box labeled _"Victoria" _on the ground, to find the old, rusty watch at the bottom.

I frowned, and looked at the Victoria box again. The name sounded very familiar to me, and even though I only had an hour to get ready before Damon came, I pulled the square box to me.

The box was full of pictures and papers, along with what looked to be a diary. Ellie came over to me, meowing for attention. But something about this unknown Victoria held my attention, and I pushed her away.

I found a copy of the Ellis family tree in the box, and unrolled it. This one was handwritten, and stopped in the middle of the 1800's. I found Victoria's name at the bottom of the tree, next to her brother, William. That's when I remembered- Victoria was the only other Ellis girl by blood, besides me.

I sighed, coming out of my trance. I put all the papers back in the small box, and set that, along with Victoria's diary on my nightstand. I had to get ready now, or I would still be drying my hair when Damon showed up.

Putting the watch on my bed, I walked to my bathroom to take a fast shower. I could already feel the butterflies in my stomach, and I shook my head, ashamed. I didn't get nervous over guys, but I also never put them over Elena.

I guess my hot date had me breaking all of my rules.

*Damon*

Damon straightened his tie, looking at his reflection in the mirror. Usually, he only went to these things to charm the council members, and keep his secret hidden. But now he was escorting Hailey, and that confused him greatly.

When he was with Hailey, he forgot all about Katherine. It wasn't like he was healed from where her claws had ripped his heart out, but like there had never been a Katherine in the first place. It was hard, thinking that he was starting to grow feelings for Hailey, when for over a century, he had been pining after Katherine.

Damon shook his head- he wouldn't think about that. He would think about how he knew that it pissed off Elena and Stefan, his friendship with Hailey. Especially since the friendship seemed to be blooming into something more.

Damon's eyebrows furrowed in confusion- why hadn't he just charmed Hailey into sleeping with him already? He knew that she was into him, and that it wouldn't be hard to get her into his bed, but yet he was taking her to breakfast and being her date to pointless dances. Damon would never compel her to sleep with him- rape was very low, even for him- but it confused him, why he was beating around the bush when it came to Hailey.

Maybe because he actually liked her as a person that made her different from every other girl he had ever been with. That had to be it, not that he might actually be developing _feelings _for her. She was his friend, and was turning into his "special" friend.

"You're actually going to the ball tonight?"

Damon didn't even look up at Stefan. "Of course, brother. I have a very hot date to take." Damon turned around and smirked at him.

"Speaking of which, I'm late to pick her up." He said, walking around his brother to the door.

Without another word, Damon left for Hailey's house. Stefan stared where his brother stood a few seconds ago, hoping that he didn't mean Hailey.

Damon knocked on Hailey's front door, feeling something gnaw at his stomach. It was nerves- Damon Salvatore didn't do nervous- but it was something along the lines of it.

He vaguely heard a hair drier coming from what he assumed to be Hailey's room. He knocked again, and then heard her curse.

"You can come in!" he heard her shout. "I'm almost ready."

With that invitation, Damon walked into her house. He smirked slightly, as he heard Hailey's frantic movements from upstairs.

"Okay, I'm ready."

Damon looked up to the stairs. His eyes widened, and he swore that his heart skipped a beat. That hadn't happened, staring at a beautiful woman, since Katherine. Damon noted in his head, that Hailey in general, was making him feel things he hadn't felt since Katherine.

Hailey was wearing a short red dress that showed off the best parts of her body. Her dark hair was in curls, and the black onyx ring was very visible on her left hand. That ring made him think of Victoria, and innumerable times he saw her wearing it. Up until the days when Katherine came to town. That's when Victoria's craziness took a turn for the worst.

Damon had gotten used to Hailey looking like Victoria, and had decided that it really meant nothing, probably just family genes. Because Victoria and Hailey were opposites, down to the last detail. Hailey had a spark of mischief in her bright green eyes and an air of arrogance about her that Victoria never had. Not to mention that damn smirk that had to be the sexiest thing in the world-

Damon shook his head slightly, trying to clear it, as Hailey smiled at him. She shrugged on her jacket, as she checked him out. He smirked at her, as she walked closer to him.

Remembering how Hailey had left him hanging that morning, Damon suddenly pulled her into his arms, and kissed her. His tongue lightly grazed her bottom lip, before he pulled away. Hailey gasped for air, as he wiped the smudges of red lipstick from his lips.

"I don't like being upstaged." he said casually, as he opened the front door for her.

Hailey narrowed her eyes at him, while he just smirked back. They walked to Damon's Camaro, and Damon felt very smug from kissing Hailey.

"Did I mention how incredibly sexy you look tonight?" Damon said casually, as he opened the passenger door for her.

"You don't look too shabby yourself." She smirked back, a black curl falling into her face. Damon pushed it back behind her ear, and he smirked to himself as he heard her breath catch.

Suddenly, Hailey threw an arm around his neck, and kissed him fiercely. Damon barely had time to grab her waist, as she bit slightly down onto his bottom lip. She pulled away just as fast as he had a smug grin on her lips. Her red lipstick was smudged, and Damon was sure that a lot of it was on his lips.

"I don't like to be upstaged either." She whispered into his ear, before sitting down into the passenger seat.

Damon closed her door, laughing slightly. He walked to the driver's side of his blue Camaro, a half smile on his lips.

There was something about Hailey Ellis, something special. He didn't know what it was, but he really wanted to find out.

*Hailey*

"Hailey, what are you wearing?"

Damon and I in the line to get into the party, and we were finally at the front. It was fine though, because Damon brought me my bourbon and I was already buzzed.

"Something that doesn't look like it was made for nuns. Besides, you should be glad that I'm wearing a dress at all. If I had it my way, I'd be in skinny jeans and my leather jacket right now." I smirked at my mother, who was in a dress that looked like it had been made for ninety year olds.

My mother glared at me, and I smirked back at her. "Did you bring the watch?" she snapped, as Damon watched us with raised eyebrows.

I pulled it out of my pocket, and gave it to her. The watch made me think of Victoria- I would definitely be reading her diary when I had free time. I didn't know if it was because she was the only other Ellis girl by blood, but I found her interesting for some reason.

My mother turned her attention to Damon, and her face instantly changed to one a Lioness might have, watching an innocent gazelle graze in the grass.

"Damon," she said, batting her eyelashes. My nose wrinkled in disgust. "Nice to see you again."

"You too, Holly." Damon said awkwardly, and I glared at my mother for flirting with my date.

"Okay, Mommy Dearest, we're going inside." I said, my fingers entwining with Damon's, and I pulled him with me into the house. My mom looked like she was going to argue, but I already pulled us around the corner.

Damon grabbed two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter, and gave me one. We clinked glasses, and I tried not to chug mine.

"Your mom…" Damon said, as I finished my drink, and grabbed another.

"I know, there's really no words." I said, and Damon smiled slightly.

I set my empty glass down, and, in my alcohol-induced buzz, wrapped my arms around his neck.

"There's a broom closet right around the corner- we can hide from my mother in it." I whispered, kissing him lightly on the lips.

Damon pulled me into a dark corner, away from wandering eyes, and kissed my neck. I sighed and closed my eyes, as his lips trailed across my jaw to my lips.

I opened my eyes and gasped slightly, as I thought I saw Damon's face. His eyes were red and veiny, and I thought I saw fangs in his teeth.

But I blinked, and his eyes were back to their intoxicating blueness, and his teeth were fangless. "What?" he asked, pulling away from me.

I shook my head. "Nothing," I mumbled, brushing my curls out of my face. "I think I need to slow down with the drinks." I said honestly.

Damon looked like he was going to say something, when he was cut off.

"Hailey, I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Oh my god," I breathed, pushing Damon away. "It's Elena, she can't know. You need to leave."

I smoothed down my dress and my hair, tried to fix my lipstick as best as I could. When I looked back at Damon, he was gone.

"Hey," Elena smiled, as she walked up to me.

I smiled back, slightly breathless. "Hey, where's Stefan?" I asked, grabbing another glass of champagne.

"Getting us drinks." She replied, before reaching out and wiping stray lipstick off.

"Oh, thanks." I said, feeling very nervous. This was a dumb idea, going with Damon. It would be so easy for Elena to find out about us.

"Are you okay?" she asked with concern, smoothing down one of my curls.

"Oh-yeah, of course." I mumbled, my heart pounding. I was still a little shaken up from seeing Damon's demon-like face, even if I just imagined it.

"You sure?" Elena asked again, and I nodded, draining my drink. The alcohol was relaxing me, and calming down my nerves.

"So, where's your date?" she asked, and I stiffened.

"Uh, bathroom?" I shrugged, like it didn't matter.

"Who is he?" Elena tried, and I avoided her gaze.

"Oh, looks like my mom's call me. Coming mom!" I shouted at a random chair, before running away from Elena. She stared at my retreating figure, hurt and confused.

Tonight definitely wasn't going to be as fun as I hoped.

*Elena*

Elena watched her best friend leave, and felt her confusion and hurt melt away into suspicion. Hailey had never lied to her before, but what if she was still seeing Damon behind Elena's back?

She looked at Stefan, as he returned with their drinks. She took a sip of hers, before asking him, "Is Damon here tonight?"

Stefan nodded, and Elena grimaced. "He said he had a date, but wouldn't tell me who." Stefan added.

Elena glowered at the floor. "Same with Hailey." She muttered.

Stefan raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend. "You don't think-?" he asked, both thinking the same thing.

Elena didn't respond, but an idea popped into her head. What if Damon was compelling Hailey? What if he was using her like he did with Caroline last year?

Elena felt white-hot anger towards the oldest Salvatore, as a plan formed. She looked up at Stefan, her brown eyes determined.

"Did you bring any vervain with you?" she asked him.

Stefan nodded, and pulled out a plastic bag full of the plant. He was careful not to touch the plant itself.

Elena grabbed the bag, and then went to the open bar. Stefan followed her curiously, wondering what his girlfriend was up to.

"One glass of bourbon, please." Elena asked the bartender sweetly.

He raised his eyebrows, but poured her the drink anyways. Elena smiled, and tipped him a ten, before leaving with her drink.

Stefan's questions were answered, as Elena crushed one plant, and then mixed it into the drink. As the plant dissolved, Elena stuck the bag into her pocket.

"Maybe Damon's compelling her. If he is, he can't now." Elena said to Stefan, before going to look for her best friend.

*Hailey*

I looked around for Damon, but I couldn't find him anywhere. I was very worried that Elena was onto us, but all I could do was hope that she wasn't.

As I finished my glass of champagne, I was starting to realize that I needed something stronger if I wanted to go home drunk.

As if reading my mind, Elena walked up to me, a glass of bourbon in her hand. I grinned, as she gave it to me.

"I really shouldn't be supporting your drinking problem, but I figure that if you're not drunk tonight, your mom is probably going to end up murdered." Elena said, as I took the glass from her.

"Thanks, I was just thinking that I needed something stronger." I said, stirring the drink.

Elena seemed to be waiting for me to drink it, and I felt her eyes on my very exposed neck.

"Well, I should probably go find my date. I think he's hiding from me." I smirked, as I walked away from her. Elena just nodded, walking back to Stefan. Something was off about her.

I found Damon at the museum part of the ball. He was staring at the Salvatore window, which was next to the Ellis one.

"I really don't get everybody's obsession with the founding families." I said, as I looked at same family tree I had studied hours ago. But this time, my name was at the bottom instead of Victoria's.

"Me too. I think it's just bragging rights, to be able to say that your ancestors helped found Mystic Falls." Damon said, finally looking at me.

I smirked at him. "Wanna dance?" I asked, pushing a curl out of my eyes.

Damon groaned. "I'm going to need to be less sober if you're making me dance." He said, grabbing my hand to pull me to the bar with him.

I laughed, letting him pull me. I pressed my glass to my lips, and took a large gulp. I readied myself for the familiar burn.

But I never got the burn.

My green eyes widened in shock, as my glass fell from my hands and shattered. I fell to my knees, coughing like crazy. I felt weak, like the energy was literally drained from me.

Damon looked down at me, his blue eyes wide. He was staring at the small puddle of blood on the floor that I had coughed up.

I met his gaze, begging him to tell me what was happening. I saw him reach out for me, but that's when the weakness and no energy really got to me.

My eyes rolled back into my head, and I passed out on the floor.

**A/N: **so, I was thinking to myself that it might be a little confusing for you guys, where the TV series intercepts with my story. So basically, for the sake of my story, we can all pretend that second and third season never happened, along with the second half of the first season. I just hope that you guys weren't too confused, I never got any messages saying that you were.

Thank you to: aireagle92, vdemily, and Darkness-Princess-Kit for reviewing!

Reviews make me smile!


	14. the sleepover

**Chapter thirteen**

The sleepover

*Damon*

Damon grabbed Hailey before she could hit her head on the ground. He ignored the burn in his throat the blood on the floor and on Hailey's lips caused him. If he hadn't been so caught up in Hailey's strange reaction to her drink, he would've paid more attention to how unusually sweet and tempting her blood was. It smelled like sunlight, ocean breeze, and salt water.

Hailey's head rolled onto his shoulder, as he picked her up bridal style. People watched, concerned for Hailey. Damon could hear her heart pounding in her chest, so he wasn't worried. She would be okay.

Damon sniffed the spilled bourbon on floor, and his eyebrows shot up. It reeked of vervain, and Damon suddenly realized that Hailey's reaction to vervain was similar to one a vampire would have.

Was Hailey a vampire?

Damon shook his head slightly, Hailey was very human. Her blood was like a human's- better, actually- and he would've found out by now if she was a human. She was probably allergic to it.

Ignoring the stares, and the burn in his throat, Damon carried Hailey to the front doors. Holly was outside, and her eyebrows rose when she saw Damon carrying her unconscious daughter.

"What happened?" she asked, rushing over to them.

For a second, Damon thought that Holly was worried about her daughter. But then she looked around to see if anybody was looking at them, and stood in front of Hailey, as if to hide her.

"Is she drunk?" Holly whispered, and Damon narrowed his eyes at the woman. Hailey really wasn't exaggerating when she was talking about her mom.

"No, she had an allergic reaction to her drink. She'll be fine, but I'm going to take her home." Damon said, a little angry at Holly for not acting like a caring mother towards Hailey.

"Fine, just don't let anyone see her." Holly said, not even pretending to care that her daughter was injured.

Damon took a deep breath, trying to control his temper. Just then, Hailey stirred, her neon green eyes opening slightly.

"Wha- what happened?" she mumbled, trying to sit up.

"You had an allergic reaction to something in your drink." Damon said, easily holding down the struggling Hailey.

"I-I'm fine. Just lemme down." Hailey mumbled, sounding as if she just woke up.

Carefully, Damon set Hailey down on her own two feet. He let go of her, and she took a step forward, before falling down. She held her hands out, as if to keep herself up using an invisible force, but she kept falling. Damon caught her before she landed on her face.

"Okay, I'm going to carry you." He told her, picking her up. Holly watched the entire exchange with narrowed eyes, and Damon chose to ignore her.

"No, I'm fine." She mumbled her eyes half closed.

"You're half unconscious, and you're still a stubborn pain in the ass." Damon muttered, walking towards his car.

Hailey smiled up at him slightly, before passing out on his shoulder.

*Hailey*

I woke up in my bed, tucked in; as if the person who put me there wanted to make sure I was comfortable.

I groaned as I sat up, my head pounding. It wasn't a hangover pound, but it was similar. It took me a few minutes to remember what had happened last night, and when I did my eyebrows furrowed. What the hell was in my drink?

Slowly, I got up and made my way to my bathroom. Ellie followed me, her eyes constantly darting around, as if looking for danger. I smiled slightly; Ellie was my protector cat.

I groaned when I saw my reflection in my mirror- I looked like hell. My eyes were bloodshot, my normally pale skin chalky, and my curled hair frizzy beyond belief. I took a long, warm shower, and tried to remember some things that happened last night.

Whatever was in that drink knocked me out like a drug. I remembered how weak I felt, and then I remembered how it disarmed me of my powers- a scary thought, since my powers were my only source of protection against danger.

I leaned against the bathroom wall in deep thought. Something was in that drink. A bartender slipped something into it? I sighed, then got out of the shower. It was over and done with, and I made it out okay. That's all that mattered.

I got dressed in blue pajama pants with yellow ducks on them, and a black tank top. I didn't think I would be leaving the house today, I was going to relax from this surprisingly stressful week.

I walked down the stairs to the kitchen, waffles on my mind. Even though it was almost noon, I would make myself some breakfast, then watch SpongeBob. I would relax and be lazy.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and I groaned slightly. I wouldn't be tolerating people on my lazy day. Still, I walked to the door and pulled it open.

"What?" I snapped, only to look up at a smirking Damon.

"Morning to you too, sunshine." He said sarcastically, taking in my pajamas.

"Nice pajamas." He said, and I smirked back.

"I know, very sexy. Try to restrain yourself." I said dryly, before moving aside to let him in.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Damon explained, as he followed me into the kitchen.

"I'm okay, just really confused." I answered, pulling my hair into a messy bun.

"Well, I'm confused too." He muttered, as If he was more confused than me.

I raised an eyebrow, but didn't respond. I got the frying pan out of the drawers, and then walked to the fridge for ingredients.

"What are you making?" Damon asked, leaning against a wall.

"Breakfast, want some?" I asked.

"I can make you breakfast." He offered, walking over to me.

Since I never passed up people doing something for me, and I was curious to know if Damon could cook, I let him make me breakfast. I sat down at the table, and watched him fry bacon.

When he slid my breakfast in front of me, I dug in. my stomach was growling, and it smelled amazing. My eyes widened slightly- he was an amazing cook, even better than my dad who was a professional. He used to work at a small, fancy restaurant in the next town over.

"So, did I move up on the Hailey Ellis Scale of Favorite People?" he asked, as I went to wash the dishes.

"Yes, you moved up considerably." I said, and Damon laughed.

"That's always good to know." He said, moving to help me with the dishes.

I waved him away, while washing a knife, and ended up slicing my hand open.

"Shit." I cursed, grabbing rag and held it to my bleeding hand. Damon went stock still, as I wiped the dripping blood off of my arm.

"I don't think I need stiches, it isn't too deep. Just hurts like a mother-" I turned to look at Damon, but he was still frozen. His eyes were glued to the bloody rag in my right hand.

"You okay?" I asked, frowning slightly.

Damon didn't respond, and the corner of my mouth twitched. "You squeamish?" I teased, but no humor crossed Damon's face.

"I-I think I should be going." Damon said, tearing his gaze away from my blood. I frowned at him, but he was already gone.

I stared at my cut, thinking about the list of weird things about Damon Salvatore. He was supposedly "dangerous", he was really good a disappearing fast, that scary demon face he pulled last night, and now he was blood squeamish.

That list kept getting longer with each passing day.

_**~LMF~**_

I had my hand wrapped up, and was channel surfing in my bed, when my phone suddenly rang.

"Hello?" I said lazily, not taking my eyes off of the _How I Met Your Mother _rerun.

"_Did you check the school website?"_

I dropped the remote, and stiffened. "You mean that the list is up?" I said, biting my lip.

"_Uh-huh."_ Elena said, and I could tell that she was smirking.

"And you already checked it, didn't you?" I guessed, getting out of my warm bed.

"_Uh-huh."_

I sighed. "Don't tell me, I need to see it for myself." I said, starting up my lap top.

"_Hailey, I can just tell-"_ Elena started to say, but I cut her off.

"Elena, I need to see that god forsaken list for myself." I said firmly, going to the school website.

"_Okay, but the answer's still gonna be the same."_ Elena said, amused.

I clicked on the link for the list, and then stared at it, scanning the names.

"NO! NO! NO!"

I glared at my name, almost at the top. I even beat up Caroline, and I'm still a damn cheerleader?

Elena laughed. _"Yep, Hails, you're a cheerleader now."_

I glared at my name, like it was offending me morally. No, I wasn't a cheerleader. I was the chick who beat up cheerleaders!

"_Are you done pouting?"_ Elena asked, and I shook my head fiercely.

"You can't make me, Lena." I muttered, shutting my lap top.

"_We had a deal, Hailey." _Elena said firmly, and I groaned.

"Fine, fine, I'll be a damn cheerleader." I mumbled, annoyed.

"_It won't be as bad as you think it will be, Hailey. I'll be you'll even have some fun." _Elena said cheerfully, and I rolled my eyes.

"I said I'll be a cheerleader, not that I'll have fun doing it." I said, walking back to my bed.

"_Well, your first task as a cheerleader, is to go to Caroline's sleepover tonight." _Elena said, and my eyes widened.

"No way in hell." I said like she was insane for even suggesting the idea.

"_All cheerleaders are required __to, but I'm invited because Caroline and I are friends. Also to keep you in line, but she didn't say that." _Elena said, and I groaned. This day officially sucked.

"I hate my freaking life." I mumbled, before hanging up on Elena.

I glared at my wall, before sluggishly getting up to pack a bag for the sleepover. Maybe if I was really, _really _lucky, the apocalypse will come early, and I won't have to go to that damn sleepover.

But luck has never been on my side.

_**~LMF~**_

Two hours later, I was standing at Caroline Forbs' door, with Elena next to me. The door opened, and Sheriff Forbs ushered us in, and told us that the sleepover was downstairs. Elena smiled and thanked her, while I nodded and trudged ahead, just wanting to get this whole thing over with.

"Come on, it won't be that bad." Elena said hopefully, as we walked down the stairs to the party.

"Yes it will." I mumbled, gripping my bag that held my sleeping bag, clothes, and secret bottle of tequila.

Elena and I walked into a large room that was blasting "I Like It Like That," by Hot Chelle Rae. Cheerleaders milled around the room, talking and snacking on the junk food that was on a table, pushed against a far wall. Caroline was in the middle of the room, talking to a few girls. There was a nasty bruise on her jaw, and her nose. Elena gaped at her when she saw her, but I just tried to look innocent, with a huge smirk on my face.

"Oh my god, Caroline! What happened?" Elena asked, as she ran up to her.

"Ask Hailey." Caroline said, glaring at me. I smirked back.

"Hailey, you punched Caroline!" Elena exclaimed, glaring at me.

"she was talking shit about me, Elena. The bitch deserved it!" I defended myself, crossing my arms over my chest.

Elena sighed and gave me The Look. When she gave me the look, it meant that she was very disappointed with me. not the usual exasperation she always has, but "I'm-not-talking-to-you-until-you-apologize," disappointment. I sighed, the look made me feel all icky inside. It made me feel… guilty. Especially, because I only got The Look when I've done something really bad. I sighed again, I knew what I needed to do if I wanted Elena to continue being my friend.

I sighed. "I'm s-so-" I gulped and tried again. I closed my eyes, so that I wouldn't have to look at her face when I was apologizing.

"I'm sorry for punching you Caroline."

I opened my eyes to see Caroline blink at me. "Really?" she asked in awe.

I sighed, but nodded. "Yeah, I guess I am. But you're still a major bitch, and I hate you." I smirked at her, but it was a little forced. She glared back at me, but there was a small smile on her lips.

_Damn, now she probably thinks we're friends or something, _I thought, biting my lip.

As if reading my mind, Caroline ran up to me and threw her arms around me. "I'm so glad we're friends now! "She exclaimed, hugging me.

I felt stiff in her arms, and automatically opened my mouth to say some smartass retort. but then Elena shot me a look over Caroline's shoulder that clearly said, "Say something mean, and I'll never talk to you again." I sighed, but awkwardly patted her on the head until she let go.

"Okay bitches, let the partying begin!"

A tall blonde girl in her late teens walked into the room, an arrogant smirk on her face. A grin broke out onto my face, as I stared at her.

"Ava!" I screamed, and ran to the blonde. She beamed when she saw me, and hugged me tightly back when I threw my arms around her.

Ava Forbes was one of my closest friends. She was my role model and idol. she used to get me drunk on the weekends when I was fifteen, then make me greasy breakfasts after, and teach me the best ways to get over a hangover. She was two years older than me, and Caroline's cousin. A couple months before my dad died, she left Mystic Falls to go to NYU, and I haven't seen her since.

"Oh my god, Hailey! You've finally grown into your ears!" she teased when we finally pulled apart.

"Yeah, just like your nose mysteriously got smaller." I retorted, and she smiled and playfully shoved me.

"Now where's my favorite cousin?" she asked, embracing Caroline.

"Care, what the hell happened to your face?" she exclaimed, before answering her own question.

"Hailey, why'd you beat up Caroline?" Ava asked in a slightly amused voice. She knew about our mutual hatred- until now, apparently.

"It's a long story, Ava. but don't worry, we're fine now." Caroline answered for me, smiling like it had started raining money. I rolled my eyes behind her back.

Ava raised an eyebrow at me, as Caroline went back to her friends. I shrugged at her, and mouthed, _'__What can you do?' _

Ava shrugged too, before shouting, "All right, let's get this party started!"

I smirked, as I tossed my bag onto the ground. If there was one thing Ava knew what to do, it was party.

_**~LMF~**_

_I was in a car, making out heatedly with David Lopez, one of the school's biggest players. He was as hot as the sun though. _

_His hands kept venturing up my shirt, and I had to push them down. Finally, enough was enough._

"_Stop." I mumbled, while still kissing him. He didn't listen though._

"_Stop it." I said again, more forcefully trying to pull away. He still didn't listen._

"_David, I said stop!" I raised my voice, pulling away from him and his adventurous hands._

"_God, chill out. Prude." he mumbled the last part._

_I gasped, and glared at him. __"Ass face." I __snapped. Then I grabbed my purse and got out of the car._

"_Really? God girl__, you need to learn how to chill." he said through the window. I ignored him, and walked in the direction of my house. I brushed my blonde hair out of my face, and fixed my bra as I did this._

_David followed me with his car for a few minutes, trying to get me back in the car, but soon gave up._

"_Fine, your ass can walk home.," he said, before driving away._

"_Dick!" I screamed after him, pissed off. _

_I walked along the side of the road. It was nighttime, and I was starting to get freaked out; Mystic Falls at night was super creepy._

_I heard a twig snap in the woods next to me, and I jumped, and started speed walking. I kept hearing noises in the woods, following me. soon I was running, when I tripped over a rock and fell to my hands and knees._

_My palms stung, and I brought them up to me to see them bloody. __"Damn." I muttered._

_Suddenly, someone or something grabbed my ankles and dragged me into the woods. I screamed for my life, but there was no one around to hear it. The person grabbed me by the neck and slammed me against a tree._

"_Please! Don't hurt me! I'm sorry! Whatever I did, I'm sorry!" I sobbed, tears running down my cheeks._

"_The families will pay for what they did." was all my attacker said, before biting me in the neck and I screamed in pain._

_I yelled and screamed, but soon I felt nothing. I was numb, when I finally passed out from blood loss. When I finally died_

"Hailey! Wake up!" Elena said, shaking me as I woke up screaming, drenched in sweat.

"Is she okay? What's wrong?" I looked up to see Ava looking at me, concern in her dark green eyes.

_No__,__ I wasn't okay_, I wanted to say to her. _I just had a vision of your death._

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: vdemily -AKA the most impatient person alive ;) - Angelfang, AudreyDarke96, carrie9586, aireagle92, jacquline, tomboy96, SomebodyWhoCares, and Jeune Couer for reviewing!

As always, review!

~Abby


	15. the funeral

**Chapter fourteen**

The funeral

*Hailey*

"Wake up, Hailey! Wake up!"

I groaned, and rolled away from the bastard that was keeping me away from much needed sleep.

"I wouldn't do that, Ava, or Hailey's going to kick your ass when she wakes up." said a different voice that I recognized as Elena's.

"Well, the bitch has to wake the fuck up, and unless you have a better plan, I'm gonna stick with this one." Ava said, poking my cheek, hard.

"I do, actually." Elena said in a slightly amused tone.

I heard footsteps coming towards me, then Elena whisper in my ear, "Hailey, you have five seconds to wake up, or Caroline gets to pick out what you wear for the day."

My eyes flashed open, and I jolted up. "I'm awake! I'm awake! Just keep the blonde and her sparkles away from me." I shouted.

Elena laughed, and Ava mumbled, "Whatever, I got her into the state of consciousness."

She stood up, and nudged my thigh with her foot. "'bout damn time, sleepy head. The funeral starts in less than 2 hours." she said, her blonde hair falling into her eyes.

I brushed my crazy bed hair out of my face, as my stomach twisted into knots at that word. "Funeral? What funeral?" I said quickly, thinking about my death vision/dream of Ava.

"Carly Fell's." Elena answered, rolling up her sleeping bag.

"Do I _have_ to go?" I whined, pulling my blanket back over my head.

"Hell yes you do! If I have to go to the funeral of the whore that stole my boyfriend from me in the 11th grade, then so do you." Ava answered, pulling my blanket off me.

I groaned but stood up. "I hate you." I told her.

She smirked at me. "You love me." she retorted.

I rolled my eyes, but grinned at her. Then I took a brush and a hair binder out of my bag, and pulled my crazy mess of hair into a ponytail.

"Lena bear, can you be a dear and roll my sleeping bag up for me?" I asked her, smiling hugely at her and batting my eyelashes.

"Why can't you do it?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Because you're so awesome at it." I replied sweetly.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Lazy ass." she complained, but started rolling it up anyway.

I slid a sweatshirt over my head, and then zipped up my backpack, while Elena finished up with my sleeping bag. "See you at the funeral, Aves." I said, hugging Ava.

"Yeah, we should hang out soon." she said, hugging me back.

"We will." I confirmed, before a thought popped into my head.

"Hey, aren't you going to go out with David Lopez?" I asked her, pulling away.

Her eyebrows furrowed together. "How'd you know that?" she asked, confused.

"You know school gossip- especially in small towns; spreads like wild fire." I lied quickly, determined to cancel Ava and David's date, even if I had to go out with him instead.

"So, are you?" I asked, impatient.

Ava nodded; looking sheepish. "Yeah, we are on Tuesday. I didn't tell you because I know you don't like him."

"Of course I don't like him! He's a major man whore! you can't go out with him." I insisted, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Oh and why not?" she asked stubbornly, biting her lip.

"Because he'll try to cop a feel, and sleep with you. I know, because he's the biggest man whore at school, even bigger than Tyler- and that's saying something. Trust me Ava; you can't go out with him." I pleaded, giving her my best puppy dog eyes.

"How about you, me, and Elena hang out on Tuesday instead?" I added.

She stared at me for a long time, before finally giving in. "Fine, I won't go out with him, but you owe me big, Ellis. He's so freaking hot!" she exclaimed.

I smiled tiredly at her. "Thanks Ava, see you later, bitch." I smirked as she walked out of the room.

"Whatever, hoe." She called over her shoulder, and I laughed. it was so good having Ava back- like having my older sister back.

And I didn't plan on losing my big sister so soon.

_**~LMF~**_

"So, why is it so important that Ava doesn't go out with David Lopez?" Elena asked after parking in front of my house.

"Because she would seriously regret it later." I answered, grabbing my bags.

"Yeah, I guess she probably would." Elena said, but there was still a crease between her eyebrows.

I waved bye to her, as I walked into my house. It was silent, as I walked into the kitchen to get a muffin. As I opened the fridge for some milk with my chocolate chip yumminess, I saw yet another note held to the fridge by a magnet.

I sighed and plucked the square, white piece of paper off, and read it.

_Hailey-_

_I went to help Hannah Fell set up for the funeral reception. Please, for the love of god, dress appropriate for the funeral. (This means no skinny jeans!)_

_- Holly_

I love how she always signs off with 'Holly' and no 'love mom.' just shows how close we are. I threw the note and the wrapper of my devoured muffin away, before walking to my room. I opened the door, and Ellie greeted me. I scratched her behind the ears as I walked to my closet, to find an "appropriate" outfit for the funeral.

I settled on a simple black dress, converse, and leather jacket. My mom wouldn't be too thrilled, but at least I wasn't wearing skinny jeans.

After I showered, I wrapped my hair up in a towel and applied my makeup. I quickly straightened my hair and slid on some god forsaken heels. I was running very late, and wasn't in the mood to hear my mother bitch to me about being on time.

I ran to my car, managing to only roll my ankle three times. The only good thing about Carly's funeral, was that I forgot all about my death vision about Ava. I was still in denial about predicting Carly's death, but I wasn't even going to take chances on losing Ava.

_**~LMF~**_

I pulled into a parking space in the church parking lot that was, of course, farthest away from the church. I was already 10 minutes late, and was practically sprinting in high heels to get to the chapel. When I entered it, I was careful not to make any noise, because the minister was already going on about how wonderful Carly was, and how she went too young.

I tried not to roll my eyes, as I slid into a bench in the back, which was occupied by one other person. "Late to a funeral? That's very disrespectful to the dead, Miss Ellis." Damon said sarcastically, smirking at me as I sat down next to him.

"The dead should be glad that I showed up at all, let alone sober." I retorted, frowning slightly as I remembered our last encounter.

As if reading my mind, Damon whispered, "I'm sorry that I ran away last night- I don't really like blood."

I shrugged, that was a reasonable explanation. "Don't sweat it, I'm the same way with clowns." I shuddered slightly. I was absolutely terrified of clowns.

We didn't talk much during the rest of the service, since the lady in front of us with red rimmed eyes kept giving us dirty looks. Even though I said I was over the whole blood incident, I kept thinking about the list of weird things about Damon. And now, with my newest vision about Ava, I couldn't just ignore the facts anymore. There was something supernatural about Mystic Falls- and there was a very real possibility that the Salvatore brothers were a part of it.

I leaned against a wall, texting Ava as everyone waited to go to the cemetery for the burial. Ava wanted to hang out after, and I quickly agreed to.

Suddenly, an arm snaked around my waist, and dragged me into an empty room. I barely had time to gasp, before there were lips on mine.

I sighed slightly, all thoughts about Damon being something other than human escaping from my mind, as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Damon," I mumbled, as he pulled away to kiss my neck. "I-I need to find my friend." Even as I said it, I knew that there was no way I would be leaving.

"I think she can wait ten minutes." He mumbled, bringing his lips back to mine. I moaned lightly, entwining my fingers into his hair.

"Or twenty- whatever." I agreed, closing my eyes.

Damon lifted me up, and pushed me against the wall lightly. His lips pulled away from mine, and went back to my neck, as his fingers grazed my thighs, before slowly travelling up. I was really glad that I shaved today.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp prick on my neck, and my eyes popped open. "Ow!" I said, my eyebrows furrowing. Damon had pulled away from me, and I just managed to catch a glimpse of his demon face, before it went back to normal. But I knew that I hadn't imagined it this time.

I touched where his teeth pricked me. he hadn't drawn blood, but there was a slight indent where they had dug in.

"I-I think I better find my friends." I said quietly, and then ran out of the room before he could stop.

Damon Salvatore wasn't normal that was for sure.

_**~TVD~**_

I drove straight home, despite knowing that my mom would be angry that I didn't go to the burial or reception. I needed to think, I needed to be alone.

I trudged up to my room, my mind whirling. There was too much to think, too much to take in. I really didn't have enough proof to firmly convict Damon of being something other than human- just a gut feeling, a strange reaction to blood, some animal attacks, my best friend's opinion, and some faces that could very much be my imagination. I needed more.

I ignored Ellie, as I flopped down onto my bed. I accidently knocked into my nightstand, and a book fell off of it. I groaned, and sat up, only to find that it was Victoria's diary.

Despite the current situation, I sat down on the floor, and flipped through it. I was glad for the distraction from my thoughts, as I stopped to read one of the last entries in the diary.

_March 4th, 1864_

_I did it. I killed them. I killed mother and Andrew. But it is for the best, I saved them from passing on the Ellis curse. I saved the world._

_But I would still be in trouble if others found out. They would not understand what I had done to save them. Only Katherine knows, and she understands. I trust her, she is my best friend. I know her secrets, and she knows mine. All of mine._

I stopped reading, confusion and horror floating through my mind. Why did Victoria kill her mom and this Andrew? who's Katherine, who she can apparently trust?

I flipped through the diary, looking for more information. a couple of photos fell out of it, and I picked them up and looked at them.

It was as if the world stopped. My eyes widened, and my breath caught in my throat. It wasn't possible, but here was all the proof I needed.

The picture in my hand was of Damon. I was sure of that, even if it was in black and white. But he was in very old fashioned clothes. Underneath the image, were the words _Damon Salvatore, 1864. _

1864- 148 years ago.

It all made sense though, now that I thought about it. All the facts fit together, even if everything I've ever known was put into question.

Damon Salvatore was a vampire.

_**~TVD~**_

**A/N: **I hope two updates in two days makes up for the lack of them so far. Oh, and this cliff hanger. Thanks to: aireagle92, Angelfang, Jeune Coeur, jacquline, and AudreyDarke96!

Like always, review!

~Abby


	16. the confrontation

**Chapter fifteen**

The confrontation

*Hailey*

What did you do when you found out that the guy you were falling for was a vampire?

I must've stared at my wall for an hour, half in shock, and half terrified. Damon was a vampire. _A vampire._ He might've killed Carly; he might be planning on killing Ava. I was falling for a murderer.

I sighed, and shook my head to clear it; my first movement in forty-five minutes. Ellie had fallen asleep in my lap, completely unaware of my crisis at hand.

I had four options on how to move forward with the new vampire situation. One, I could pretend like I was still an oblivious human in the dark about the supernatural. Two, I could move far, far away from Mystic Falls and hoped that I never crossed Damon's path again. Three, I could check myself into the physiatric ward- which I probably have coming. Or four, I could confront him, and pray that he wouldn't rip my throat out.

It wasn't the smartest or safest option, but even a horrified Hailey Ellis wasn't a cowardly one. I didn't avoid my problems, I met them halfway. Besides, I still had my powers to protect me, and I needed to hear it from his lips. I needed to hear Damon tell me that he was a vampire.

Despite my better judgment, I stood up and changed out of my dress. I felt like a robot, my movements very mechanical. I wished that I could go back to a few days ago, where my biggest worry was Elena finding out that I was seeing Damon behind her back. Now I was in this whole new world of the supernatural, not just physics anymore, but vampires. Who knew what else was out there? Werewolves, witches, zombies, and ghosts- I felt very naïve, thinking that only physics existed.

When I was in more comfortable clothes, I hesitantly walked to my car. Thankfully, my mom wasn't home yet. I was in no mood or state of mind to fight. I was starting to think that I never was ready to fight with her. Funny, how I always considered it my favorite pastime.

Starting my car, I felt very jumpy and paranoid, like vampires were everywhere. As I drove to the Salvatore house, my mind ran through what else I had foolishly ignored or denied. If Damon was a vampire, I safely assumed that Stefan was one also. Did Elena know the truth? I bet she did, since she was telling me to stay away from Damon.

My heart panged, as I thought about him. Was he just using me? Did he even care about, just a little? Was he just using me to piss of Stefan and Elena? Was he just planning on killing me, draining me of my blood?

Anger and grief seeped into me, as I drove mechanically to the Salvatore Boarding House. Before I knew it, an old glass bottle on the passenger seat shattered, a piece of glass almost hitting me in the face.

I shook my head, as I pulled up to the Salvatore house. I had to get a grip on my emotions, or I would end up exposing myself.

Slowly, I made my way to the front door. My common sense told me run back to my car, and never talk to Damon again, but I barely ever listened to my common sense. I was a little surprised that I even had it.

I took a deep breath, and then knocked on the front door. This wasn't some random guy- this was Damon Salvatore who I was convinced was a vampire. He was my friend, my drinking buddy. We had made out numerous times, and I was developing feelings for him. I couldn't run away, I couldn't avoid him. I needed to find out the truth, and then…

And then I needed to let him go.

I bit my lip, as I knocked again. If Damon was dangerous, if he was the one killing people in my home, if he planned on killing me too, I needed to tell him goodbye. I've done a lot of stupid stuff, but sticking around and continuing on falling for a vampire even when I know he'll kill me would be a new low for me.

I sighed, pushing my bangs out of my face. I didn't want to let Damon go, even if he was a blood thirsty monster, Even if he could kill me. It scared me, but I've grown attached to him.

I was so lost in my thoughts, that I didn't notice when Damon opened the door. "Hailey?" he asked, sounding a little surprised.

I looked up at him, and for a second there was a flash in his blue eyes, almost like he knew why I was here. Still, he raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

I took a deep calming breath, and shrugged. I made sure not to look him in the eyes, because I knew that he would be able to see my fear and horror in them. "I was bored." I lied nonchalantly.

I don't think he completely bought my lie, but he still moved out of the way to let me into the house. I followed him carefully, and looked around the house for anyone else. We were alone. I was alone with a vampire.

"What's wrong?" he asked bluntly, as I followed him into the kitchen. He walked to the cabinets, while I leaned awkwardly against the table in the room.

I raised an eyebrow. "Nothing," I lied, still averting my eyes.

"Please," he rolled his icy blue eyes, "You look terrified. I'm guessing that's why you won't look me in the eyes."

I didn't respond, and studied my nails. I had just painted them bright neon blue. Damon walked over to me, and silently pressed a glass of whiskey into my hands.

"You look like you could really use one." He said solemnly, his eyes searching my face. He sighed, before walking back to his spot across the room, by the sink.

I took a much needed sip, the burning sensation giving me strength. I managed to look him straight in eyes, as he asked, "So, what happened to you?"

"I found out the truth about someone who I was growing pretty close to. Turns out he's not who I thought I was." I said bluntly, my gaze unwavering.

He had to know who I was talking about, that I knew the truth about him and his brother. But still, he looked away from my gaze, and said, "Oh, really? How did you find out?"

I sighed; I wish he'd just admit it to me, that I didn't have to flat out ask him. "Detective work, mostly. But honestly, it was just dumb luck that I found out his secret. I haven't confronted him yet, though. I'm waiting for him to tell me, though I don't think he ever will."

Damon watched me carefully, his blue eyes searching my face. I just stared him down, while thinking about the best way to confront him about his mortality. Suddenly, an idea came to me, and walked slowly to the counter, where a knife set was.

Before Damon could raise his eyebrows, I grabbed a long and skinny knife. Then I cut a long line on my left arm, causing me to hiss in pain. I dropped the knife, and watched the thick crimson liquid pool over and drip onto the floor.

I looked up at Damon, who was watching my blood like it was the best tasting bourbon to ever exist. I watched him, my cut stinging on my arm.

"What's the matter, Damon? It's just a little blood." I whispered. His eyes never left my blood, and my eyes never left him.

It was like he was in a trance that my blood put him under. Hours seemed to go by, before he took a slight step forward. I automatically took two back, thinking that maybe this wasn't the best plan after all.

But it was too late, temptation finally broke Damon. I barely had time to gasp, before he was across the room, and his fangs sunk into my neck.

I screamed in pain, as Damon dug deep into my skin. He was sucking my blood from me very fast, and I felt the world start to blur.

If my survival instincts hadn't kicked in then, I would've been very dead. I felt all this pent up energy; pent up power, explode within me, and Damon went flying across the room, smashing into the fridge.

I was sprinting to the front door before even hit the floor. Blood was still dripping from both of my wounds, and I felt very woozy. I expected Damon to chase after me, to finish what he started, but he never did.

I drove home as fast as I could, barely slowing down to rip my t-shirt and wrap the cotton around my cut and my bite. I almost wanted to go to Elena's, to have her tend to my injuries like the mother hen she was. I wanted her to tell me how she got over Stefan being a vampire, and that I was better off without Damon and all his danger. I wanted a friend.

The heavy night air surrounded me, as I pulled to a stop in my driveway. I stayed in my car, and rested my head against the steering wheel. I thought about the promise I'd made to myself before I confronted Damon. If he was too dangerous, if he could and would get me killed, I would tell him goodbye. I could still feel his teeth digging into my neck, yet I didn't want to say goodbye to Damon any more than I did a few days ago.

It seemed that not even my almost-death could make me hate Damon Salvatore.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **this was short, but I updated really fast, so that makes up for the shortness. Happy Friday the thirteenth!

Thank you: AudreyDarke96, aireagle92, Carrie9586, and jacquline for reviewing!

I think you guys all know by now that reviews= faster updates.

~ Abby


	17. the truth

**Chapter sixteen**

**The truth**

*Hailey*

My eyes were closed, as _Friends _played on the TV in front of me. It was almost noon on a Monday, but I was still in bed. I didn't feel like I could go to school and pretend that I didn't know the truth about vampires. Besides, I didn't want to take the chance and run into a Salvatore brother.

"_I don't wanna look like you,_

_Because you're too perfect, _

_You're too perfect,_

_And I don't wanna fill your shoes,_

_Because it's not worth it,_

_It's not worth it,_

_I don't fit the mold I am real,_

_Too colorful to conceal,_

_Imperfect is the new perfect,_

_Imperfect is the new perfect."_

I opened my eyes and answered my cellphone. It was probably Elena, wondering why I wasn't at school. I don't think I was ready to tell her that I knew about vampires, and a part of me was a little mad that she didn't tell me in the first place.

"Hey," I sighed, closing my eyes.

"_Hailey."_ Responded a familiar masculine voice.

My eyes popped open. I didn't even think that he would call me. "You've got some nerve." I snapped, coldness icing over my words.

It was quiet on the other end. _"I-I'm sorry."_ Damon said finally, and I could tell that he didn't say that very often.

"Oh, are you now?" I said sarcasm and disgust edging its way into my voice. "For what? Not telling me that you're technically dead, or for almost killing me?"

"_Both?" _

I rolled my eyes, and sat up. "I don't forgive you. I admit, cutting myself wasn't the best plan in the world, but you should've told me the truth."

"_What was I supposed to do, Ha__iley? Go up to you and say, 'Just so you know, I'm not exactly human. In fact, I'm a 167 year old vampire! Wanna go to the bar later?'" _Damon said sarcastically, and I frowned.

"Well, as long as there was alcohol involved…" I retorted.

"_It would not of bee__n that easy, and you know it. I'm sorry that I almost killed you, but you were the Einstein that went and spilled your blood all over my kitchen floor in the first place." _Damon said, and I glared at my TV.

"Wow, did anyone ever tell you that you're really awesome at apologizing?" I asked sarcastically, and I could tell that Damon rolled his eyes.

"_It's apart of my charm." _He retorted, and I smirked slightly, things going back to pre-vampires for a split second. Then my smirk disappeared, and the line went silent.

"_At least let me explain, okay? Then you can decide __whether or not to speak to me ever again. Or worse, pull a Buffy, and try to stake me." _Damon said, and I raised my eyebrows.

"That's actually how you kill a vampire?" I asked curiously, momentarily sidetracked.

"_I'm not giving you any ideas," _Damon retorted. _"Can you meet at the Grill in an hour?"_

I paused, biting my lip. _"Please?" _Damon sang, and I smiled slightly.

"Fine, but if you try to bite me again, I'm gonna be super pissed."

_**~LMF~**_

An hour later, I was sitting in my car outside of the Grill. I was in baggy gray sweatpants and a blue shirt. My hair was in a messy bun, and I didn't have on a lot of makeup. I had managed to almost completely cover my bite mark with makeup, and it was only noticeable if you looked for it. If someone did notice it, they would just think that it's a hickey.

I sighed, and slowly got out of the car. I was apprehensive to talk to Damon, but I needed to my questions answered. I needed to know if he was just using me, leading me on with plans to kill me. I needed to know if he was behind Carly's death, and possibly behind Ava's- though I had put a stop to hers

The Grill was dead, with only the local day drunks at the bar. Plus a few kids who skipped school. Damon sat at a table in the far back, away from everyone else. I walked to him, my heart picking up pace. Partially because of fear that he might try to kill me, and partially because my heart always started beating faster around Damon.

"I thought you weren't going to show." Damon commented, as I sat down across from him. A glass of bourbon waited for me, and I took a gulp of it. The burn took away some of my fear, and I managed to look him in the eyes.

"I'm a lot of things Damon, but I'm not a flake." I said, my heavy bangs falling in my green eyes. I noticed Damon's hand twitch on the table, as if it ached to push my hair out of my face, but he didn't make a move to do it.

"I got you good." Damon said, frowning slightly. He was staring straight at the bite on my neck. I shifted to hide it, and noticed a look of guilt pass through his eyes.

"I didn't think that vampires felt guilty, biting humans." I blurted out curiously. Damon blinked, as if he never expected to hear me call him a vampire.

"We don't," he said dryly, looking away from my bite, to stare at his own drink.

I smiled slightly, my mood lifting. Damon did care about me, for real. I wasn't just a walking blood bag to him. That was something.

"Did you kill Carly Fell?" I asked bluntly, deciding not to beat around the bush. I came here for answers, and to decide whether or not I wanted Damon in my life.

He shook his head, his blue eyes honest. "I was with you that entire day, Hailey." He said, and I felt my spirits rise again. If he didn't kill Carly that meant that he wouldn't try to kill Ava either.

"How long did you know about me?" Damon asked, his turn to ask a question.

"I managed to put it all together about an hour or so before I confronted you. But I started having suspicions that you weren't normal a few days before." I answered.

"I know Stefan's one too," I added, taking another sip of my drink.

Damon raised his eyebrows. "Do my brother and his girlfriend know that you know?"

I shook my head. "No, I haven't talked to Elena since Sunday morning." I answered, wondering how I would go about telling her that I'm in on the secret. Would I tell her my own secret then, too?

"How old at you?" I asked, that thought suddenly popping into my head. The picture had said 1864, but what if he was older.

"167- I grew up in the 1800's." he answered, and my eyebrows furrowed. He was almost two centuries old.

"Well, I always did have a thing for older guys." I muttered to myself, and Damon smirked.

"So, what exactly, can you do? Do vampires have any sort of special powers?" I wondered, finishing my drink.

"My personal favorite is compulsion- mind control, basically. But the strength and speed isn't too bad either." Damon answered, signaling for more drinks.

"Have you ever compelled me?" I asked, frowning. I didn't know if I wanted to know the answer.

"No, I haven't." he said, as the bartender brought us more bourbon. I believed his answer, and didn't press on the topic.

"What's the worst part of being a vampire?" I asked, though so far, it didn't sound too bad. Despite the blood lust, that is.

"The emotions. When you turn into a vampire, your personality is multiplied by 100, and you feel everything 100 times stronger than you did as a human. The good feelings are great to feel, but the bad; anger, sadness , loss… it's not very fun. That's why most vampires turn it off." Damon said, taking a long sip of his drink.

"Turn what off?" I asked.

"Their humanity. It's like a switch, and your instinct is to feel nothing, to turn it off. I did, for a very long time. But the damn thing always finds a way to flip back on." He said, rolling his eyes as if everyone had a problem with their humanity.

"You've killed people, haven't you?" it was more of a statement than a question.

"I have, Hailey. I've killed a lot of people, and I even liked it." Damon said in that brutally honest way of his.

He looked like he expected me to leave, but I stayed in my chair. "Well, I suppose we all have our faults." I said lightly.

Damon looked like he couldn't believe my response, but I had already moved on to the next question. "How do you become a vampire?"

Damon raised an eyebrow at me, but answered anyway. "You have to die with blood in your system, and then drink blood to finish the transformation. If you don't drink blood, you'll die."

"How do you kill a vampire?"

Damon smirked slightly. "Wouldn't you like to know."

I rolled my eyes. "I promise I won't try to kill you." I sarcastically raised my right hand. "Scout's honor."

He smirked at me. "Stake in the heart."

I raised my eyebrows. "So it is like with the movies. What about garlic?"

"I think that less is more, but to each their own." He retorted.

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Holy water?"

"Yummy, I love some when I'm eating my garlic."

I laughed, and Damon smiled slightly at the sound.

"Crosses?" I continued.

"Decorative." He shrugged.

"Coffins?"

"I prefer beds, they're homier."

"Mirrors?"

"How else would I be able to make sure I look this good?" Damon said, gesturing to his body, and I smirked.

"Do vampires have any weaknesses?" I asked, leaning forward.

"Vervain, sunlight, and we need an invitation to go into a house." He answered.

"I've seen you in the sun before, though." I asked, confused.

Damon held up his hand, a ring on his finger. "Daylight ring." He said simply.

"Where'd you get it?" I asked curiously.

"A witch- and yes, they exist too." He answered my unanswered question.

I paused, searching for another question. Our conversation had really helped me accept what Damon was, and to not be afraid. He was still the Damon I was friends with, the Damon I was falling for. Nothing had changed with him.

"Who changed you?" it was my last question, and I didn't think it was a very hard one. But Damon froze like a deer in the headlights.

"Uh, some random vampire back in 1864. She changed Stefan too." Damon shrugged like it was no big deal, but he avoided my gaze.

I had no reason not to believe him, so I let it go. I finished my drink, a small smile on my face. Maybe things could go back to normal between Damon and I, only they would be better because there were no secrets between us. Besides my own.

I completely forgot that I had exposed myself to Damon last night, but Damon didn't. I was playing with my ring, when he spoke.

"How did you get away, Hailey? No offense, but you should be dead right now. If I hadn't gone flying across the room, you would be."

I looked up, my eyes wide. Damon had an eyebrow raised, while a dozen lame excuses went through my mind. But I didn't want to lie to Damon, because if there was one person in this world who wouldn't think that I was a freak, it would be a vampire. Besides, he told me the truth, it was only fair that I told him the same.

"I'm physic."

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **I think I'm starting to seriously piss people off with all my cliff hangers, tee hee :)

Thanks to: aireagle92, Sam0728, AudreyDarke96, hplover1616, vdemily, and Carrie9586 for reviewing!

Reviews make happy authors. Happy authors make faster updates. Just saying.

~ Abby


	18. all my fault

**Chapter seventeen**

**All my fault**

*Hailey*

Silence followed my words, and it seemed like centuries before Damon finally did something besides stare at me like he was frozen in time. However, what he did wasn't what I had hoped for.

He laughed.

He laughed like he had just heard the funniest joke ever, and I had to control the urge to hit him. "No, seriously how'd you do it?" he asked, a grin on his face.

"I used telekinesis- the ability to move things with my mind. I also have visions. Like I said, I'm psychic." I answered; not even trying to keep the bitterness that he didn't believe me out of my voice.

He looked at me with a strange expression on his face, before saying, "You actually believe that you're Psychic, don't you?" I could hear the faintest trace of pity in his voice, and then it hit me.

He thought I was _crazy_, that I belonged in the loony bin.

Anger flared inside me, along with what I recognized as disappointment and hurt. Damon was the first person I had ever told about my abilities, for I was afraid that I would get the same reaction that I just got from him. I figured that if anyone would understand about having supernatural abilities and wouldn't think I was crazy, it would be him. But I was wrong.

Suddenly, the anger faded from me, and I was just left feeling disappointed and embarrassed, and I didn't like feeling that way. It made me feel weak and vulnerable, and I had spent years building up my reputation for being the exact opposite of that. I tried to summon my anger again, but it didn't come, and instead I felt tears coming to my eyes, which was unacceptable. I couldn't cry, especially in front of Damon. The feeling of being weak and vulnerable became stronger, and before I knew what I was doing, I was standing up from my chair.

"Hailey, don't leave." Damon sighed, standing up too.

"Why shouldn't I? I'm not gonna stand here and wait to be taken away to a mental hospital, Damon. That's obviously where you think I belong." I snapped, trying to covertly brush away tears escaping from my eyes, but he noticed.

"Are you crying?" he said, his voice softening.

"No! Just- just leave me alone Damon." I muttered, before turning and running away from him as fast as possible.

"Hailey, wait!" he said, but I ignored him, and ran out of the grill, before getting into my car. When I was alone inside of it, I let my tears of hurt and embarrassment fall freely.

It was around 4 o'clock when I walked into my living room, letting the front door slam shut... I didn't really know why I was crying. Maybe because I was disappointed and embarrassed of being thought of as insane, but maybe because of Damon. Because I told him my biggest secret I didn't even tell Elena, and he laughed in my face. Because there was no way things would ever be the same between us anymore.

I walked into my room, and slammed the door shut behind me. I slid down the door, and leaned against it. I brushed my bangs out of my face, before a small hissing fur ball hurtled itself into my arms. Ellie's back was arched and she was hissing in the direction of my window. When I looked up, I saw why.

Damon was leaning against the wall next to it, watching me. I jumped slightly when I saw him, before glaring at him and saying with as much venom in my voice as I could muster, "I thought I made it perfectly clear that I wanted you to leave me alone."

I suddenly cursed myself for inviting him into my house on the night of the Founder's ball. Damon crossed his arms over his chest, while I glared at him. "I wanted to know why you were crying." He said emotionlessly.

"First of all, I'm not crying. I just have something in my eyes. Second of all, I don't know if it's the same for vampires, but most humans don't react well when people call them crazy." I retorted, pushing my bangs in front of my eyes to hide the fact that they were watery.

"I never said you were crazy." he defended himself, and I rolled my eyes.

"'You actually believe you're Psychic, don't you?'" I said in a generic impression of a guy's voice. "I've never told anyone what I am, Damon. Not even Elena and I tell her everything. I expected that you might understand, because you're not supposed to be real either. But I was wrong, obviously."

Damon rolled his eyes at me. "Cut the melodramatic crap." He snapped, and I stood up and glared at him.

"You're such an asshole." I snapped, as the lamp on my nightstand started to shake. Neither of us noticed. "Do you know how hard it is? To tell someone something you've been hiding for years, only to be laughed at? It doesn't feel good, Damon!"

"You can't just go up to somebody and tell them that you're a psychic, Hailey! There are thousands of others just like you, all around the country reading tarot cards and crystal balls and claiming to see the future. Of course someone's first reaction is to think that you're off of your medication!" Damon retorted.

"Well, those people are fakes, I'm the real deal." I said, and Damon laughed humorlessly.

"I bet that's what the fakes say too." He shot back.

I stared at him- was he honestly saying that he thought I was faking my powers?

"Get out of my house." I said emotionlessly, turning my back on him. I walked towards the door, but then Damon was suddenly blocking my path.

"I said get out of my house." I snapped angrily, glaring at him.

"No." Damon said stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest.

My anger boiled over, and I made to slap him. Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist, gripping it tight. I went to slap him with my other hand, but he grabbed that one too.

"Don't make me break your hands, Hailey." He said, and I glared at him.

I moved to bring my knee up to his stomach, but he easily moved out of the way. I huffed in agitation.

"Let me go," I snapped, trying to pull away.

Damon let go, and I gasped as I fell backwards. But then Damon was behind me, and he caught me before I hit the ground.

I breathed heavily, my hands on Damon's shoulders. His lips were an inch from mine, and despite the fight were in the middle of, I leaned in and kissed him.

It was funny, how mine and Damon's relationship worked. One minute we were screaming at each other, and the next we were making out on my bed. I guess that's just how our personalities worked together.

Damon suddenly pulled away, and I used that time to breathe and fix my bra. I was still flat on my bed, and watched Damon try to control his thirst.

"Do you still think I'm crazy?" I asked pensively, looking out my window. The sun had set, and the full moon was visible through my window.

"Not any more than usual." He retorted, and I kicked him playfully with my foot.

I sat up, and then raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you want proof that I'm psychic?" I asked with a slight smirk.

I didn't wait for Damon to respond, and instead waved my hand at an ugly vase my mom had insisted be in my room. It flew across the room and shattered against a wall.

"Believe me now?" I asked casually, taking in Damon's reaction.

His eyebrows were raised, and he looked pretty shocked. Vampire or not, most people weren't used to things moving on their own.

"You're not crazy." He said finally, and I smirked at him.

"Not any more than usual." I retorted playfully, all my anger, hurt, and embarrassment long gone.

I saw in his pale blue eyes that he believed me, and I smiled at him. Maybe I was wrong, and things could go back to normal. It already seemed like they were.

"How long have you known?" he asked.

"Around two years." I answered, lying back down on my bed.

"And you have visions too?" he asked curiously, lying down next to me.

"Yeah, and they're not very fun." I said without thinking.

"What do you mean?"

I turned over onto my other side to face Damon. "Usually, I just have a really good gut. I just sort of _know _things, they weren't really visions. But the first night I came back, I had a sort of dream vision. It was very, very realistic, and I felt everything that happened. I only had one more after that one, and it was just as fun as the first one." I told him.

"What were your visions about?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, and I bit my lip. It was about time I told Damon that there were murderous vampires running around.

"My first vision was of Carly Fell's death."

"You saw it-?" Damon asked, looking very alert. I nodded, before lying down on my bed again.

"That's how I first started thinking that there was something not completely human in Mystic Falls. Of course, I ignored my vision, and convinced myself that it was just a dream caused by alcohol and Twilight." I explained.

Damon's nose wrinkled. "I don't think I will ever forgive Stephenie Meyer for writing that vampires sparkle in the Sun." he muttered.

I laughed, before Damon asked, "What was your second vision about?"

I couldn't bring myself to talk about Ava's death, so I just answered, "Don't work about it, I have it under control."

Damon nodded, and then looked at me, with a serious expression. "You know that there are other vampires besides me and Stefan running around, right?"

I nodded, and then quoted a popular line from my visions. "'The families will pay for what they did.'" I said grimly.

"That's what the vampires say in your visions?" Damon asked.

I nodded, and closed my eyes. "The only thing they say."

"So they're from 1864."

I opened my eyes to see Damon smirking twistedly to himself. "What happened in 1864?" I asked curiously.

"Cliff notes version is basically in my human days, the founders had a slight vampire problem. So the night Stefan and I were turned, they rounded up all the vampires in town. They were supposed to burn alive, but the same witch who created my ring cast a spell to save them. So all the vampires were trapped in a tomb for 145 years, until last year when they got out." Damon explained.

"How'd they get out?" I asked curiously.

"That's an even longer story, Hailey." Damon sighed, and I bit my lip. I wanted to know, but I knew better than to push Damon.

"I think I know their plan." Damon suddenly blurted out, and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Care to share?" I asked, and he smirked at me.

"By chance, what would the last name of the victim in your second vision be?" Damon asked me.

"Forbes." I answered automatically, and Damon's smirk turned dark.

"The tomb vampires are going kill a member from each family as revenge for 1864."

He said this with the so much confidence, and I realized right away that he was right. It was obvious, once you put the pieces together.

"Okay, how're we gonna stop them?" I asked, sitting up and staring at him.

Damon looked at me the same way he did hours earlier when I told him about my powers. "_We _aren't going to do anything." he said, gesturing to us. "Stefan and I will take care of it, and you will stay home like a good girl and try not to get yourself killed."

I stared blankly at him. "Um, hell no. I'm just as involved in this as you are, so I'm helping." I told him stubbornly.

He laughed a humorless laugh. "How are you involved in this Hailey?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Their second victim was going to be Ava Forbes, and she is one of my best friends. Tyler Lockwood is one of my closest friends too, and they could go after him. For Gilbert, they could go after Elena or Jeremy, who are like my siblings. I'll be damned if I lose anyone of those people, not to forget that I just happen to be the only Ellis by blood alive. So yeah, I'm involved in this Damon, and I can help." I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

He shook his head. "There's no way in hell I'm letting you help us take down the tomb vamps." he said with a tone of finality. But I still argued anyway.

"Oh, and since when do you get to decide what I do and don't do?" I asked sarcastically.

"I don't care if I have to lock you in a damn closet for three days, Hailey. You're not getting involved in this." he snarled. I saw a dangerous glint in his eyes, but my recklessness ignored it.

"I'm already involved in this, Damon! My friends are in danger, and I'm not going to sit back and let them get hurt." I shouted at him fiercely.

During our second fight of the day, Damon and I had both stood up and were inches from each other. A part of me had recognized that I was inches from a very pissed off vampire, but I was a reckless, blunt drunk with anger issues- I ignored that part and didn't back down.

"I think you're forgetting that you're still human, Hailey. That those vampires can snap your neck before you could even raise your hands. You're not invincible, and you're going to get yourself killed. I'm not going to let that happen." He growled.

"But I'm not going to let my friends die, Damon. I'm not." I insisted, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I don't care if those people die, Hailey- I care if you do." He snapped, rolling his eyes as if I was the stobbornest person to ever exist.

My brow furrowed as I tried to comprehend what he said. It was offensive yet sweet at the same time. Only Damon could ever manage that.

"You can't stop me from fighting these tomb vamps, Damon. So you can either join team awesome with me, or you can go brood about how stubborn and stupid I am. Your choice." I said firmly, not budging.

Damon growled, running his hands through his hair. "You are the biggest pain in the ass I have ever met." He said his face still dark.

I smirked at him. "You'll get over it, most do."

"_I don't wanna look like you,_

_Because you're too perfect, _

_You're too perfect,_

_And I don't wanna fill your shoes,_

_Because it's not worth it,_

_It's not worth__-"_

I answered my phone, still on edge, while Damon glared angrily at me. "What?" I snapped, not taking my eyes off of Damon.

"Hailey, something happened."

All my anger faded away when I heard Elena's sniffly voice. It was similar to the voice she used when telling me that Carly was dead, but more like when she called to tell me that Grayson and Miranda Gilbert were dead.

"What, Elena? What's wrong?" I asked, looking away from Damon. There was a sinking feeling in my stomach.

"Hailey… Ava's dead."

The world stopped, and the phone dropped from my hand. I was frozen, I couldn't move. No, no. No, no, no, no, no. it wasn't possible. I stopped it. I stopped it!

"Hailey, what happened?"

I barely recognized Damon at my side, my cell phone in his hand. I just shook my head slowly, too shocked to even cry. It wasn't possible; it was just a sick joke. Ava was alive, she had to be. I stopped it.

I took my cell phone back, and said calmly, "What happened, Elena?"

My best friend didn't seem surprised by my lack of reaction. She knew how I reacted to loss, though she didn't know why I didn't react at all. I was still in denial.

"Ava canceled her date with David, which was supposed to me tomorrow. But then he talked her into going out tonight, an-and from what he said Ava got pissed and walked home. That's when she was attacked; it was ruled as an animal attack." Elena explained her voice hoarse from crying.

Both of us know that it wasn't an animal attack, though Elena didn't know that I knew. I didn't have the strength to correct her.

Suddenly, anger flooded through me; anger at those damn vampires for killing the closest I ever came to having an older sister. I threw my phone at the wall, hard. It smashed beyond repair, but I didn't get any relief from the damage.

Damon watched quietly as I worked through the stages of loss. I was still shaking my head slightly, as I paced around the room, milling over Elena's words. Suddenly, something occurred to me, and I stopped in my tracks.

I had a vision of Ava's date on Monday, though her actual date was set for Tuesday. The only reason her date switched days was because I convinced her not to go out with David.

It was my fault that she was dead.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **I'm pretty sure that I'm going to have some angry readers after me, for killing Ava. I was surprised at the amount of people who liked her, but Ava was basically created to die, so lo siento for that.

Thank you to: anotheruntoldstory, jacquline, Carrie9586, AudreyDarke96, Angelfang, aireagle92, Sam0728, Samantha meyers, Pinkbeca, and SomebodyWhoCares for reviewing!

I'm not going to push my luck for reviews, since I'm sure that I just pissed a lot of people off.

~Abby


	19. the breakdown

**Chapter eighteen**

**The breakdown**

*Hailey*

I didn't cry.

I hated crying, I hated how vulnerable you felt while crying, and I hated how everyone can tell that you've cried. I hated everything about crying.

I tried holding off crying over Ava as long as possible, and that meant a lot of booze. The days following Ava's death weren't the proudest days of my life. But that's okay, since I barely remember them. I had drunk every ounce of liquor in my house, and when I ran out I went to the bars.

I had avoided everyone for the three days following Ava's death. Elena, my mother, Damon, I even locked Ellie out of my room. I wanted to be alone, I wanted to mourn alone. Plus, I didn't want anyone to be around if I did cry.

On the Wednesday following Ava's death, I was at a local college bar about half an hour from Mystic Falls. I was staying clear from the Grill, in case Damon was there.

It was almost one o'clock in the morning; I was shit-faced drunk. Most people would find it very inappropriate that I was partying two days after one of my best friends died. But this was Ava who died- if she was still alive, she would be right next to me. She would be stealing my shots, telling guys to back the hell off, and holding back my hair when I vomited.

Besides, liquor was the only way to hold back the guilt that was eating me alive inside. If I didn't have that damn vision, Ava would be next to me. If I never came back to Mystic Falls, Ava would still be alive.

I was currently dancing on a bar table, to a country song that, if I was sober, I would've wrinkled my nose and change it. But drunken Hailey loved country.

"Yo soh hawt." The drunken college student slurred into my ear. If it was possible, he was drunker than me.

I ignored him, and kept dancing. Even when I was completely wasted, I stayed clear of frat boys. Besides, I just wanted to drink and dance by myself.

"Cah mon, baybee, lehts goh toh meh plash." He pushed, wrapping his arms around my waist.

I frowned at him, before pulling away. Being so drunk it was a miracle I was standing, I immediately lost my balance and fell off of my table.

I giggled as I fell, imagining that I was flying. I closed my eyes, a sloppy grin on my face, as I imagined that I was flying in the sky like a bird.

Before my drunken ass hit the ground, someone caught me.

"This is why you stay clear of tables when you're drunk, Hailey." A familiar voice said dryly into my ear.

"Day-mon!" I cheered, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him sloppily. He pulled away and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Hailey you smell and taste like a liquor store." He told me, as I kept grinning.

"I-I had a fow dranks." I told him seriously, leaning on him for support.

"Could have fooled me." he said sarcastically.

I shrugged, and then pulled him towards the dance floor in the small bar. Drunken college students surrounded us, and it was so loud you had to scream to have a conversation. Loud music filled the air, along with the stench of sweat, vomit, smoke, and stale beer.

"Cah-mon, Day-mon! Les daaance!" I shouted, giggling.

Damon didn't help me pull him to the dance floor, and instead pulled me back to him. "I'm going to take you home, Hailey." He said, pulling me towards the exit.

I frowned and shook my head like a four year old. "NO! I don wanna!" I pouted.

Damon rolled his eyes at me. "Hailey, I'm really not in the best mood right now. It's one in the morning, and I'm in some college bar that smells like vomit. I don't want to, but if I have to, I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here."

I still frowned, not wanting to leave. "Why arr yo heer den?" I asked stubbornly, still trying to pull away.

"Because you drunk dialed me an hour ago, and you sounded so wasted you might actually be in trouble, so I decided to come and get you." He told me.

I continued to try to get away. "I don wanna goh Day-mon!" I insisted.

"Heh! Lev hur aloon!"

Damon rolled his eyes as the drunk frat boy from earlier came to my rescue. Damon gave me a look, as if asking, _"Who is this tool?"_

"Go away before I kill you." Damon told him, clearly annoyed.

Frat boy didn't leave, and I kept struggling. Damon sighed, and muttered something about drunken humans. Within three seconds frat boy was unconscious on the floor and I was over Damon's shoulder.

"Day-mon! Lemme goh!" I shouted, hitting his back. Damon kept walking, ignoring me.

"She didn't by chance pay her tab, did she?" Damon asked the bartender, as I continued to kick and shout. Damon acted as if there wasn't a drunken psychic over his shoulder.

The young blonde girl shook her head, and Damon sighed again. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket, and tossed a few bills onto the bar.

"Have a good night." He smirked at the girl, before walking out of the bar.

The cool night air sobered me up enough that my words weren't all mushed nonsense. "Put meh down, Damon." I muttered, though I stopped kicking.

"If I do that, you're going to fall on your ass." He rolled his eyes at me.

We were silent, as Damon unlocked his car and buckled me into the passenger side like I was a child. I was giving him the silent treatment, and just stared out of the windshield.

"You know, the silent treatment is more of an award than a punishment." Damon told me, as we drove back towards Mystic Falls.

I stayed silent, and Damon sighed. "You can be pissed at me all you want Hailey, but if I hadn't showed up you would probably have that tool's tongue shoved down your throat right now." He sounded bitter as he said it.

I didn't respond, and Damon gave up on making conversation. Almost twenty minutes went by, before Damon said softly, "This is about that Ava chick, right?"

I didn't answer, but a tear started rolling down my cheek. Damon sighed when he saw it, and brushed it away with his thumb.

He didn't say anything about my crying, and I didn't speak to him the rest of the ride home. But I did rest my head on his shoulder as he drove. He brushed my hair out of my face with his free hand, and I fell asleep to the sound of the car engine.

_**~LMF~**_

"Oh. My. God."

I have never had such a bad hangover in my life. It felt like something was trying claw its way out of my head. Suddenly, I covered my mouth and sprinted to my bathroom.

"Freaking college bars." I moaned, as I threw up the liquor I had gulped down last night.

After I was done vomiting, I lay down on the cool bathroom tile, and closed my eyes. This was the third time this week that I had a hangover that was worse than my usual ones, and the week wasn't even over yet.

I bit my lip when reality finally hit me, the bitter truth not mixing well with my hangover. I was going to literally drink myself to death, if I didn't stop now. I've had drinking issues for the better part of two years, but this was the first time it actually occurred to me that I was killing myself.

Slowly, I got up and made my way to the kitchen. I think that after I had my coffee, I would call Elena. She had been trying to get ahold of me for days, but I was avoiding her like everyone else.

As I got a huge cup of coffee, I noticed yet another damn note on the fridge. I groaned, and plucked it off before reading it.

_Hailey-_

_I doubt you will read this, since you've locked yourself in your room and have been getting drunk since Avery died- very disgraceful and immature. But today is her funeral, at 3 P.M. I doubt you'll show up, but if you do please be sober._

_-Holly_

I sighed, crumpling up the note. I had to go to Ava's funeral- she'd haunt me until the day I died if I didn't.

Drinking my coffee, I walked back up to my room. I noticed Ellie asleep at my door, and sighed again. I had a lot of people to apologize to, starting with my cat.

"I'm sorry baby girl," I cooed, picking her up. "I haven't exactly been the best version of myself this week."

Ellie just purred, and I smiled. If only humans were as forgiving as cats. I put Ellie down on my bed, and then took a long look around my room. It was fairly obvious that I had been partying in my room, because of the bottles littering the floor, and all the smashed and destroyed items. I would have to clean that up later.

I went to my closet and picked out the black dress Ava bought me for my first date when I was fifteen. It was a little too sexy for a funeral, but I knew Ava would want me to wear it.

I walked into my bathroom, and flinched when I saw my reflection. My hair was a mess, my eyes were blood shot, my complexion oily, and I looked very hung over. The hot water helped sober me up, and I felt better when I came out of it.

Had to put on a lot of makeup, but I think that I did a good job hiding my hangover. It was a quarter to three by the time I was driving to the funeral. I wasn't looking forward to going, but I owed it to Ava. It was the least I could do, since I basically killed her.

_**~LMF~**_

"Hailey, I didn't think you would make it."

I forced a smile at Elena, as I sat down next to her. The funeral was just starting, and Elena had a very firm grip on Stefan's hand. I looked around for Damon, but he was nowhere to be found. I hadn't seen him since he brought me home from the bar last night.

"Ava would kill me if I didn't show up." I said, my head still pounding. I closed my eyes, as the minister started talking about how great Avery Marissa Forbes was. I didn't really pay attention, because I already knew all of it.

Elena gripped my hand, and I squeezed back. She was just as close to Ava as I was, but Elena was a crier. She grieved the healthy way, while I drank and got angry and threw stuff.

The funeral was over before in about an hour, and I started regretting that I came. It was just… too much. It was too big of a reminder of Ava, and my eyes started to water slightly. I blinked them away, and then followed Elena to the front of the church.

"Do you need a ride to the cemetery?" she asked, looking around for Stefan who seemed to disappear. I wondered if Damon had told his brother that I knew- I doubted it.

"Uh, I don't think I'm going to the burial." I bit my lip, and avoided Elena's brown eyes. She was an expert at knowing when I was hung over.

"Why not?" Elena frowned at me. We were alone in a corner of the church, and I awkwardly played with the necklace I was wearing.

"I just- I don't think I can handle it Elena." I told her honestly, staring at a picture of Jesus on the wall.

"Wait-"Elena grabbed me by the shoulders and forced me to look her in the eyes. "Are you hung over, Hailey?"

I didn't answer, but Elena knew the answer. She narrowed her eyes at me, and dropped her hands. "I can't believe you." She said, disgusted. "It's Ava's _funeral, _and you were out partying last night. Unbelievable."

I glared at her. "God, Elena, you don't know half of what I've been going through this week." I said, putting my hands on my hips.

"What, did the bars run out of bourbon?" she asked sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes at her. "I am in no mood for your holier-than-thou attitude, Elena. Yeah, I was out last night, but that is who I am, that's how I grieve!" I snapped.

Elena looked as if I slapped her. "When one of your oldest and closest friends dies, you don't go out and get hammered, Hailey. You cry, you mourn, and you remember all the good memories you have of them. You don't party!" she yelled, and we were starting to get looks.

"That's what you do, Elena. That's how you act. You're the normal, touchy-feely cheerleader, I'm not. I've never been, yet it feels like since I got here you've been trying to turn me into that person. When people I love die, I get drunk and try to hold off the pain until I can't anymore." I said, and Elena just stared at me.

Slowly shaking her head, she backed away from me. "I've put up with a lot from you, Hailey, but I can't deal with you being hung over at Ava's funeral." She told me.

Suddenly, a flower vase flew at Elena's head, and she just missed it. It smashed at her feet, and she stared at it. She didn't notice me shaking with anger, as I said coldly, "Then just don't deal with me at all, Elena."

I walked out of the church before I threw anything else at Elena. I drove fast and angrily towards what I thought was my house, but I slowed down when I saw a cross on the side of the road, with "Ava Forbes" written on it.

I exhaled loudly, before getting out of my car. I sat down across from the cross marking where Ava's body was found. People had placed flowers, pictures, balloons, and teddy bears there. But I pulled a half empty bottle of rum out of my purse and spilled some onto the ground.

"I miss you like hell Ava, I hope you know that." I told the air.

"I shouldn't be drinking- I think I have a problem." I told her cross, before smirking to myself. "I know, you'd have no idea if I didn't tell you."

I shrugged, before taking a little sip of rum. "I won't make you the only one drinking, Aves." I said to the sky. It looked like it might rain.

There was silence, as I emptied the bottle into the soil. "I hope you're happy, wherever you are Ava. I've never been a very religious person, but I hope you're in a place where you can get as drunk as you want with no hangover after."

More silence followed, as I stared at a picture of me and Ava. I was 15, and she was 17. She had gotten me drunk for the first time ever, and I was wasted. But we were both grinning in the way only drunken goofballs could.

I exhaled sharply, and closed my eyes. "I am so sorry, Ava. I'm sorry that you're dead. I'm sorry that I couldn't keep my damn mouth shut. I'm sorry that I was out getting wasted the night of your death. I'm sorry that I'm just a shitty friend in general. But mostly, I'm just sorry that I killed you, that I'm the reason you're dead. I suck."

My eyes stung, as I opened them. I willed myself not to cry, as I grabbed the picture of me and Ava, and put it into my pocket. Then I stood up and ran to my car.

_You're not going to cry, you're not going to cry, _I kept telling myself, as rain started falling down from the sky.

Suddenly, I ran into a hard chest. I looked up to see Damon looking down at me, dressed in funeral attire. I took a deep breath, my eyes still stinging and my head still pounding.

"Hailey…" he sighed, as I started backing away from him.

"What, I'm fine." I tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. I wouldn't cry in front of Damon of all people.

But it was too much; everything was too much. Before I knew it, my emotions got the best of me, and tears were rolling down my face. I sobbed into my hands, and shook with tears. Damon just pulled me into his arms, and I sobbed into his chest.

He didn't say anything as I cried, just held me. But that was all I needed. I needed somebody to hold me as I finally broke down.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **I hope you guys don't consider this a cliff hanger, because the original ending was more cliff hangery than this one. So I hope I get an A for trying! I've been told that I need to knock it off with the cliff hangers, so I'll try to stop it.

Thank you to: Samantha meyers, HawthorneTree, AudreyDarke96, Carrie9586, colleenrawr, aireagle92, and jacquline for reviewing!

I will love you if you review!

~Abby


	20. the attack

**Chapter nineteen**

**The attack**

*Hailey*

It seemed like years before I finally pulled away from Damon. It was pouring down on us, but neither of us seemed to notice.

I stared at the large smudges of mascara on Damon's shirt, and touched one lightly. "I ruined your shirt." I stated my voice rough.

Damon shrugged like it was nothing. "It's fine- it's Stefan shirt."

I laughed, which seemed to please Damon. "Come on, there's a bottle of bourbon at my house with our names on it." He told me, throwing an arm around my shoulders and leading me to his car.

I smiled, and leaned into him. My chest still felt heavy, but I felt better after crying. I felt even better with Damon with me.

Suddenly, Damon stopped walking, and I frowned up at him. "What?" I asked in confusion.

He held a finger up to his lips, and kept scanning the area around us. I looked too, but all I saw were trees.

"Damon-"I started to say, but was cut off when he covered my mouth with his hands.

"_There's something out there."_He breathed into my ear, and I stiffened. They were here, those bastards who killed Ava. And now they wanted to kill me too.

I was ready to fight, to avenge my best friend, but Damon- as if reading my mind- gripped my wrist tightly.

"Don't you even think-"he said to me, but then something suddenly launched themselves at him.

I gasped escaped my lips, as a vampire growled and fought Damon. His eyes were red, his face veiny, and his hands kept going for Damon's throat. But Damon looked unimpressed, and easily kicked the vamp off of him.

I watched, frozen in shock and awe, as Damon threw the vampire at lightning speed into the trees. He didn't even spare me a glance before disappearing after him.

A normal person would have gotten into their car and drive as fast and as far away as possible, but I wasn't even in the same galaxy as normal. My fear was pushed aside by my anger and my need for revenge.

I took off running after them, my wet dress sticking to my legs. I kicked off my heels while running, and the random branches around kept jabbing into my feet.

I just spotted Damon staking the vampire in the heart, when I was suddenly yanked by the arm, hard, and thrown into a tree.

I heard a crack, and then lights started popping in my vision. The back of my head burned, and I tasted blood in my mouth where I had bitten my tongue. But it was the blood that was dripping down my neck that worried me.

"Oh, shit." I muttered my vision still blurry. I tried to stand up, but then I was gripped by a tall woman with fangs protruding from her mouth.

Before she could rip my neck open with her teeth, her head was missing. I froze in horror, as her decapitated body fell to the ground. Her head was a few yards away, and I tried not to look at it.

"Are you okay?"

I felt the strong urge to vomit, as Damon pulled me to him, scanning me for injuries. His hand prodded my head, and he stiffened when he brought back blood.

It seemed to take how pale and half-dead I looked to bring Damon's self-control into check. He wiped my blood on his ruined pants, and then bit his wrist in one fluid motion.

"Wh-what are you doing?" I muttered, swaying on my legs.

"It'll heal you, trust me." Damon said, bringing his wrist to my lips.

I gulped down some of his blood- disgusted with myself that it actually tasted _good_- and when he pulled his already healing wrist away, I felt much better.

"We need to get you out of here." Damon told me, already pulling me towards his car. "There are more coming."

"No, Damon." I said defiantly, stopping in my tracks. "They killed Ava- I'm not leaving here without even a little revenge."

Damon rolled his eyes. "You're going to get yourself killed, Hailey. I'm going to drop you off at your house, lock you in your closet so that you don't try to come after me, and then I'll take care of the rest." He said, dragging me along, despite my fighting.

"I think you forgot to factor in when the tomb vampires kill you." I told him dryly, managing to pull my wrist away from him; it ached slightly from his pulling.

He rolled his eyes at me. "In case you forgot Hailey, I'm a vampire. I'm much harder to kill than you."

"That doesn't make you invincible, Damon." I argued, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Why does it matter to you, Hailey?" he yelled agitatedly.

"Because I care if you live or die, Damon!" I yelled out in anger, not even noticing a small tree crack down the middle.

A strange look passed through Damon's icy eyes, as I struggled to control my anger. He opened his mouth to say something, when I was suddenly dragged by my hair away from him.

Being dragged by the hair at vampire super speed wasn't very fun. I cried out in pain, as it felt like my hair was going to be ripped out of my scalp.

I fell to the ground, my scalp aching, as Damon tackled my attacker. I forced myself to get up, and looked around for a weapon. I saw a broken branch a few feet away, and grabbed it.

Damon managed to pin the vampire down to the floor, but it looked like he was going to break free. I didn't think as I ran forward with my makeshift stake, I just let my anger and vengeful personality fuel me.

I used all my strength, and a little telekinesis to shove the branch into the vampire's heart. I watched, disgusted yet a little intrigued at the same time, as the life literally drained from the vampire.

Damon watched me curiously, as he stood up. I looked around the darkening woods, feeling like I was being watched. The rain was still coming down at a steady pace, and my legs were covered in mud.

"We need to go. Now." Damon said, grabbing my hand. He was gentler than before, but his voice was still urgent.

I let him pull me along, but kept scanning the area for more vampires. Killing my first made me feel badass, and as weird as I sounded, I wanted to kill more. I wanted to kill the one that took Ava from me.

"I'm not leaving, Damon. Not until they're all dead." I told him firmly, my eyes stopping on him for a few seconds.

Damon seemed like he was going to argue, to threaten to throw me over his shoulder again, but he just sighed. "I think there's only a couple running around. As soon as they're dead, we're leaving before you start acting like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and you want to go after the rest of the tomb vamps."

"Why not? We can just end It now-"I started to say but was cut off by a blur running straight for me.

I raised my hands and held the woman vampire in place, and Damon decapitated her. I shivered slightly; I would never get used to him ripping people's heads off.

"Can you knock it off with the head ripping?" I asked, as he carelessly kicked the head out of sight.

"What's wrong Buffy? You can handle staking vampires, but decapitating them freaks you out?" he smirked, appearing at my side again.

"Yes, it does. And if you call me Buffy again, I'll start referring to you as Edward." I retorted.

"Fine, truce." He muttered, as we both started looking for more vampires. I smirked at him, but then my eyes widened when Damon doubled over in pain.

I barely saw a tree branch sticking out of his back before there was a hand around my neck.

"I would tell you that the families will pay for what they did, but I think you already know that. Don't you, you little psychic?" I heard a male voice purr into my ear, as his finger stroked my jaw.

I couldn't respond, as his grip on my neck tightened, and I couldn't breathe. I started gasping for air, and a cruel laugh rang in my ear before his hands let go.

"Your boyfriend isn't exactly in any shape to save you, is he?" he murmured, before turning me so that I could see Damon. He was still on the ground, but there were more wooden stakes sticking out of him. Another man stood behind him, looking amused.

"I gotta say Damon, Victoria was always hot, no kidding- don't tell Nicolai I said that-"he told the other vampire, who smirked and nodded. "- but I thought you and your brother were always team Katherine."

The lack of oxygen might've been messing with my mind, but I had heard the names Victoria and Katherine before. Hell, I was pretty sure that I was related to one of them.

"So why wouldn't you be going for that Gilbert girl? The one who looks just like her? Oh, but Stefan's already hitting that, I forgot." Both of the vampires snickered, and the one holding me tightened his grip on my neck.

"So because Katherine's look alike was taken, you went for Victoria's? seems a little unhealthy to me, but hey, to each their own." The vampire continued a huge smirk on his lips. I felt very dizzy, and unconsciousness kept gnawing at me. I was going to pass out soon, and then I would be killed by these jackasses.

Through the fog in my mind, I barely registered what Damon had told me about becoming a vampire. You needed to die with vampire blood in your system, and I currently fulfilled one of those.

I couldn't even think about becoming a vampire in my current state. I wasn't even a legal adult yet. Did I really want to be stuck at seventeen for eternity? Elena didn't even know that I knew about vampires, so it would be a pretty big surprise if I just suddenly became one.

"Uh, uh, uh, Salvatore. You make one more move and I will snap her neck before you can even blink." The vampire holding me warned, and Damon stayed stock still on the ground where he had been trying to get the strength to fight.

The vampire laughed bitterly. "You know, this past year I've been hearing all these stories about the big bad Damon Salvatore. Yet, here you are, risking your life for a human. A hot human, but still a human nonetheless." He cooed, pushing my soaked hair away from my neck.

"Can we just move this along, Dante? She smells amazing." The other vampire said impatiently, and I shuddered slightly.

"Patience is a virtue, James." Dante said sarcastically. "Just let me finish off Salvatore, and then you can go crazy with the hot psychic look alike."

It was the mention of killing Damon that cleared the fog away. I felt energy within me burst- like it had the night I confronted Damon- and then Dante and James went flying.

The rush of oxygen brought my instincts back. I gulped down air, as I waved my hand at Damon. He groaned in pain as all the stakes flew out of his body.

"Are you okay?" I asked, helping him stand up.

"Are _you_ okay?" he countered, concern in his eyes.

I just shrugged, but I still felt woozy, like I might pass out. "Ask me after those two dicks are dead." I smiled slightly, just as James appeared, looking pissed off.

Damon met him halfway, and they were fighting so fast I couldn't even tell who was who. I raised my hands and just managed to hold James still, when somebody sunk their teeth into my neck.

It was like when Damon bit me, but worse. More painful. It was more like the biting from my visions. Dante bit down as hard as he could, and I felt so lightheaded, and like the life was being drained from me.

Suddenly, Dante's teeth were gone, and I was in Damon's arms. His bleeding wrist was at my lips again, and I swallowed a few gulps of his blood.

I felt better, but unconsciousness was still fighting to take me over- and it was winning. The last thing I remembered before passing out in Damon's arms, was seeing James and Dante's lifeless bodies, their heads still attached to their bodies.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **this might be the last time I update this week. I might be able to slip in a chapter between tonight and Friday, but I'm super busy this weekend.

Thank you to: colleenrawr, HawthorneTree, jacquline, Samantha meyers, AudreyDarke96, Pinkbeca, and Carrie9586 for reviewing!

As always, review! Review! Review!

~ Abby!


	21. the damn cat escaped the bag again

**Chapter twenty **

**The damn cat escaped the bag again**.

*Hailey*

"Ugh, my head hurts."

I moaned, clutching my head as I slowly woke up. It took me a few minutes to figure out that I wasn't in my bed. But this bed was warm and comfortable and smelled like… Damon.

I sighed, breathing in the smell that I had come to love. Leather, bourbon, cologne, and a hint of something copper that I knew was blood. That all mixed together was amazing, and I smiled, before burying my face into my pillow some more.

I ignored the pounding in the back of my head, and how sore my body felt. I struggled to remember what had happened last night, but all that came to me was Ava's funeral, fighting with Elena, Damon, and vampires. I couldn't remember why I felt like I had just gotten in a huge fight.

"Wakey, Wakey."

I opened one eye, to see Damon sitting down on the edge of the bed. I closed it again, and pulled the blanket tighter around me.

"Where am I?" I mumbled, as I felt the bed shift as more weight came on it. Damon lay down next to me, and I rolled over so that my head was on his chest.

"My house, and you're in my bed." He murmured, feeling stiff at first. But then he relaxed, and I felt him brush my hair out of my face.

"What happened?" I breathed, feeling safe and warm and content.

"Long story short, we were attacked by tomb vampires. We managed to kill all of them, and you were pretty badass." I heard him chuckle at my grin. "It got really close though, and for minute…"

He didn't finish his sentence, but some of my memory had come back to me. "I would've died with vampire blood in my system, Damon." I reminded him, not opening my eyes.

There was silence to my words, neither of us knowing what to say to that. After a beat or two of awkward silence, Damon changed the subject. "There was a council meeting this morning. They know something's up with the animal attacks. They found the dead vampire bodies though, so we're in the clear for now."

"That's good." I opened my eyes, and green met blue. Despite the pounding headache that was like a hangover minus the fun of getting drunk, I leaned in and kissed Damon.

It was surprisingly soft, the way he cupped my face and kissed me back. I think it hit him hard, the thought that I almost died. Even if I would've come back as a vampire.

I pulled away when Damon's hands went for my chest. I smirked teasingly at him, as he frowned at me. "Tease," he muttered into my neck, and I laughed.

"I need to take a shower," I told him, climbing out of bed. "And no, you can't join me." I called over my shoulder. I barely heard him groan in response.

I hadn't really thought about sleeping with Damon- all the murderous vampires and dying friends have been preoccupying my thoughts- but I felt like we were edging towards there. It wasn't like I was a virgin, and the only thing holding me back was the thought that he might kick me aside after. But Damon and I had been through too much for him to just screw me then never talk to me again.

I walked into Damon's bathroom, and shut the door tightly behind me. I stared at my reflection, taking in the blood shot eyes, too pale skin, knotted up hair, and dried blood on my neck and around my mouth. I tried so hard to remember what happened completely, but all I got were certain flashes.

I took a long shower, and when I came out wrapped in a towel, Damon was gone. I borrowed some clothes that Elena had left in Stefan's room, and then came down the stairs to the living room. I was just in jeans and a green tank top, and my wet hair was in a ponytail.

I found Damon in the living room, putting his jacket on. He had his back to me, but still said, "Turns out the tomb vampires aren't as inconspicuous as I thought they would be. There's just been about a dozen blood drained bodies discovered in an abandoned warehouse. I have to meet Liz there."

"Damn vampires, when will they learn to clean up after themselves?" I teased, walking to the door with him.

He smirked as he opened the door for me. "Where are you going?" he asked me.

"Elena's, I have some explaining to do." I sighed, walking to my car that was parked next to Damon's Camaro.

"Are you going to tell her?" he asked me.

"About me knowing the big secret or about my powers?" I asked absentmindedly.

"Both." He clarified, as I got into my car.

"I don't know yet, I think I'll tell her that I know about vampires, then ease her into the whole psychic thing." I sighed, starting my car.

"Good luck." He smirked, and I just rolled my eyes playfully before stretching up to kiss him quickly.

"Yeah, I'll probably need it."

_**~LMF~**_

It was almost two P.M, as I pulled to a stop in front of Elena's house. My headache wasn't gone, but it was good as. I walked into Elena's house like I lived there, and almost expected her to be at school. But there she was, sitting at the kitchen table with Stefan.

"Hailey!" Elena said, standing up quickly. She had that look on her face that you get when you're talking about somebody and then find out that they're right behind you.

"Hey Lena, I think we need to talk…" I looked at Stefan, debating on whether or not he should be here for this conversation. But his eyes were glued to my neck. Or more specifically, the red, scabby bite mark that I had totally spaced about hiding.

I pushed my shoulders up to hide my neck, but it was too late, Elena had already seen it. And she looked pissed.

"What did he do to you, Hailey?" she demanded, rushing up to me and pushing my shoulders away. Her anger seemed to fill up the room as she inspected my bite.

"Damon didn't bite me, Elena!" I retorted, pushing her away. Elena looked shocked at how defensive I was of him. Then she looked hurt.

"Did he compel her?" Elena asked Stefan, as if I wasn't in the room. I glared, and crossed my arms over my chest.

"He wouldn't do that, Elena." I said, feeling my emotions unravel very quickly. I tried to keep them in check- to keep my powers in check- but I was failing miserably.

She gave an almost pitiful look. "You don't even know what a monster he is, Hailey." She argued, while Stefan looked like he was putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

"You mean a vampire?" I retorted, and Elena looked frozen in shock.

"Y-you weren't supposed to know." She muttered, and I just rolled my eyes. I felt my anger bubble up in my stomach.

"Did Damon tell you?" Stefan asked, not looking nearly as surprised as Elena.

I shook my head, breathing deeply. "I figured it out myself." I said, while Elena still looked shocked.

I turned my gaze to her. "Just build a bridge and get over it, Elena. I know, okay?" I said a little harshly, and Stefan shifted awkwardly.

"I'm going to let you two work this out." He said, before disappearing.

"I didn't want you involved in this, Hailey." Elena said as soon as he was gone.

I rolled my eyes, annoyed with my best friend. I loved Elena, I loved her a lot. But her one fault was that she made decisions for people. She didn't control them necessarily, but if she thought that they would be better off a certain way, she'd do something to make it happen. It wasn't bad, really, but it bugged me sometimes.

"Well, I didn't ask you for your opinion, Elena." I said, and she flinched slightly.

"You don't understand, you don't want to be stuck in this whole vampire mess, Hailey. You don't. And you definitely don't want to be stuck with Damon." Her nose wrinkled, and my temper flared again.

"Maybe you're the one who doesn't understand, Elena. He's my friend, he saved my life. He was there for me when you weren't. But didn't come here to argue about Damon, for you to tell me that he's killed people- I know that. I came here to tell you that I know the truth. I was going to tell you something else, but I- I just don't think I'm in the mood anymore." I turned and walked out of the kitchen, out of her house.

"Hailey, just wait!" Elena ran after me, and I whirled around to face her in the front yard. The little control I had over my emotions suddenly disappeared, and my powers went haywire.

Every single flower pot in Elena's neighborhood smashed at the same time, making it sound like thunder. I breathed heavily, trying to control my temper. Elena stared wide eyed at me.

"What are you?" she whispered, looking like she didn't know me anymore.

But I was already gone.

I drove as fast as I could to Damon's house, afraid. Would Elena think I was a freak? Would she end our friendship? It wasn't like it wasn't already on the rocks. I had some pretty mean things to her that I didn't know if I could take back.

Damon was in his living room, when I burst into his house. He silently handed me the rest of his bourbon, and I chugged it. It burned my throat, but I needed it- bad.

"I'm guessing that telling Elena didn't go to well?" he asked, as I grabbed another bottle.

"Hey," I frowned, as he took the bottle away from me.

"I picked you up at a college bar, where you were 'dancing-on-tables' drunk not even three days ago. You're cut off from getting drunk for a while." He told me, putting the bottle away.

I just glared- I needed to drown out my problems right now. Who was he to cut me off?

We both looked to the door, as it suddenly burst open. I just looked away, as Elena and Stefan walked in. my head hurt, and I wasn't in any mood to deal with Elena right now.

"Just go away, Elena." I told her, rubbing my temples. It wasn't the same headache as before, it was worse. And it kept steadily getting more intense.

"How did you do that, Hailey?" she asked, ignoring my outburst.

"So she's in on the secret?" Damon asked me, and Elena's eyes widened.

"He knew? Damon knew about your… powers before I did?" she looked hurt and outraged at the same time.

"Elena! Not now, okay?" I shouted, feeling as if my head was going to explode. I had never had a headache so bad in my life.

Suddenly, I collapsed in pain, and Damon just managed to catch me before I hit the ground. "Hailey, what's happening? What's wrong?" he asked, worried.

I just clutched my head, moaning in pain. "My head…" I whimpered.

I opened my eyes, but I couldn't see anything. I faintly heard a gasp, and Elena say something about my eyes, but then everything melted away. The pain, the blackness. And suddenly, I was watching a scene play, like in a movie.

"_They're dead, Markus."_

_A young man, probably around fifteen, cowered away from the man he called Markus. People surrounded a group of three and the young man. They were all in a small cottage._

"_How? She's just human." Spat a woman in her twenties, with hair so red it looked like fire. "How did a human manage to fight off five vampires by herself?"_

"_Now, now Candace. I'm sure Tim has an explanation for that." Markus soothed her, before turning back to Tim._

"_She wasn't alone, Damon Salvatore was with her. We're sure of it." Tim said, before he looked straight at a tall man standing behind Markus and Candace._

_The man looked bored yet slightly amused by what was going on around him. He was tall, with tan skin and messy hair that looked like he just got out of bed. He had to be in his early to mid-twenties, and was overall, very hot._

"_She- she looks like Victoria, Nicolai." Tim told him hesitantly._

_Candace looked murderous, Nicolai looked like the sun had just come out after a millennium of darkness, and Markus looked only politely intrigued._

"_She- she has her powers too, visions and telekinesis. We've been watching her for a few days." Tim continued._

"_This doesn't change anything!" Candace shouted, turning to Markus. "Hailey Ellis will die! She has to, she's the only Ellis by blood still alive."_

"_I never said that she wouldn't, Candace," he soothed her, looking as if he did it by the hour._

_Nicolai however, didn't look too sure about that plan. "I… I have to see her." He murmured, before suddenly disappearing. _

_Candace still looked pissed. "Markus…" she whined, turning to him._

"_Hailey Ellis will die, Candace." He said impatiently. "_She _insisted it. Nicolai just needs to see the girl, that's all. After all, he was in love with Victoria."_

_Markus walked away, his cool gray eyes calculating as he disappeared. The vampires around them murmured to each other, but Candace's furious expression never changed._

_She ripped Tim's head from his body, before disappearing, muttering to herself about lovesick vampires._

I gasped, sitting up in Damon's arms. I looked around, but I was back in the Salvatore Boarding house. There was so much running through my head, I could barely process it all.

"What _was _that?" Damon asked, as I shakily stood up. Stefan and Elena both looked shocked.

"I don't know. A vision, I guess. I've never had that before." I said, pushing my bangs out of my face.

"You're eyes… they were full of blood, Hailey." Elena told me, but I just closed them.

Something was bugging me from my vision, something that brought back a memory from last night. I opened my eyes and stared straight at the Salvatore brothers.

"Who's Victoria, and why do I look like her?"

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **so, I sort of took out my agitation at Elena in this chapter. I don't hate her, but she pisses me off sometimes.

Thank you to: Salvatoregurl, Audri, SomebodyWhoCares, vdemily, carrie9586, Pinkbeca, Samantha meyers, colleenrawr, AudreyDarke96, and jacquline for reviewing!

I love reviews!

~Abby:)


	22. Victoria Andromeda Ellis

**Chapter twenty one**

**Victoria Andromeda Ellis**

*Hailey*

Damon and Stefan had a silent conversation, probably debating on what to tell me. I was growing impatient, and I was done with lies.

"Just tell me the truth." I said, causing Damon to look at me. his blue eyes searched mine, before he turned back to Stefan.

I sighed, and looked at Elena. I expected her to be just as confused as I was. but Elena had her brown eyes glued to her shoes. I bit my lip, anger boiling up inside of me. even she knew about Victoria before I did.

"You guys have about six seconds to explain before I throw a full-blown tantrum." I said, glaring at everyone in the room.

Damon looked up at me again, looking torn between telling me the truth and lying. "Please, Damon." I said in a softer voice, trying to coax the truth out of him.

Damon sighed, and despite the look Stefan gave him, said, "Victoria Ellis is your ancestor. She grew up in 1864 with me and Stefan. And like you said, you look exactly like her."

I exhaled, and said, "Tell me more."

"Victoria was… crazy." Stefan said, walking over to Elena. She looked like she wished she was anywhere but here.

"What?" I asked, my mouth going dry.

"She was the town freak," Damon said bluntly, leaning against a wall.

Stefan shot him a look. "What?" Damon said defensively. "She wants the truth, and there it is. Victoria was insane."

"It's fine." I said, feeling as if there was a ball of lead in my stomach, that kept growing heavier and heavier. "What else?"

"She died around two months before Damon and I turned. She was about your age." Stefan said, still frowning at his brother for his bluntness.

My eyes widened. "How?" I asked, pretty sure that even back then, people didn't die that young.

Damon and Stefan exchanged looks, and I gritted my teeth in anger. "Stop hiding things from me, okay! I want to know everything- I need to know everything. I'm a big girl, I handle it."

"Victoria killed herself." Damon said bluntly, earning another look from Stefan.

I froze, as the lead ball grew bigger in my stomach. "Why? How?" I whispered..

"She stabbed herself." Stefan said, and I closed my eyes. of all the people to look like, I get stuck with the crazy, suicidal girl.

"How do you know she was crazy?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from death, since I've had enough of it these past weeks to last me a lifetime.

"Well, she didn't exactly go around bragging about it, but it was pretty well known that Victoria had a few screws loose." Damon said, standing up and heading to a table, where he grabbed a bottle of whiskey and poured himself a glass.

"Strange things would happen around her. Things would explode. People who would piss her off would end up with nasty burns, or almost get strangled to death by inanimate objects. Plus, she would claim to see things that weren't there, and would mumble to herself in public." Stefan added.

"There's also the fact that she killed her mom and her cousin." Damon added, taking a long sip of his drink.

"I thought that it was never proven." Elena said, speaking for the first time in the conversation.

"It wasn't, but just like with Lizzie Borden, everyone knew the truth." he said, smirking at her.

"Victoria did kill them." I said, saying the words without really thinking about them.

All three heads turned to face me, each with the same unspoken question on their faces.

"I read it in her diary. She said that she killed them to stop them from passing on the Ellis Family curse- whatever the hell that is." I sighed, and then walked over to Damon and stole his drink.

"Why do we look alike?" I asked, finishing the whiskey. I gave Damon the glass to refill and he frowned at me, before grudgingly giving me a full glass of whiskey.

"I have no idea." Damon said, pouring another glass for himself.

"I don't either." Stefan said apologetically.

"How alike do we look like?" I asked hopefully, not wanting to look like the crazy girl.

"If I didn't know for certain that she died 146 years ago, I would say that Victoria was standing in front of me right now." Stefan said after a pause.

I groaned, finished my glass and then raised my hand with my eyes closed. Damon's glass flew into my hand, and I took a long sip of it.

"Really?" Damon complained, as I downed the rest of his drink.

"When you find out that you look like your insane ancestor who killed herself, you can steal all the drinks from me that you want." I said, setting the empty glass down.

I suddenly felt very tired, and really wanted to be in Damon's comfortable bed. But I couldn't right now. I needed to tell them about my vision.

"So, does anyone want to know about my vision?" I asked, sitting on the arm of a couch. I pushed my bangs out of my face.

Damon gestured for me to start, and I told them everything about my vision. I paused a little when I told them about how Nicolai was in love with Victoria, but managed to push through. When I was finished, Damon and Stefan were having yet another silent conversation.

"What? Do you know who the leaders are?" I asked, pulling my knees up to my chin.

"Yeah, or at least have an idea who they are." Stefan responded.

"Candace, Markus, and Nicolai, right?" Damon asked, sitting down next to me. I was glad for the distraction of talking about the tomb vampires. I didn't want to think about Victoria.

I nodded, then asked, "Why does Candace want me dead? I mean, I know that 'I'm a founding family member, but you can only hate a stranger so much."

"Because she loathed Victoria, and you're her clone." Damon explained.

"Why?" I asked, though I now had a pretty good idea why she wanted my head on a stick.

"Because she was in love with Andrew Ellis." Stefan said simply.

"Who's that?" Elena asked for me.

"Victoria's cousin, the one she killed. They were actually pretty close, though he was a tool." Damon answered, smirking slightly.

"And Candace would love to rip the head off the clone of the girl who murdered the man she loved, as revenge." I summed up, remembering about what Damon said, about vampires being vengeful.

"Yep." Damon agreed, gritting his teeth slightly.

"And then there's Nicolai, who's in love with Victoria." Elena said, and despite us not being on the best of terms, our eyes met. we silently agreed that my lucked sucked, since I was the copy of a girl with more baggage than an airport.

"What a tool." Damon muttered under his breath, and I raised an eyebrow at him. He pretended not to notice me.

"And then there's Markus, the main boss." I said.

"The only thing we really know about him is that he's about 500 years old." Stefan said.

I raised an eyebrow. "What, no 146 year old grudge or crush on the girl I look like? He's my favorite." I said sarcastically.

"I barely remember him. He liked to lie low, though he scared the shit out of the rest of the vampires." Damon said.

"Yeah, I got that impression in the vision." I sighed, when I suddenly got a feeling in the back of my head. Before, the only thing that I had that was like visions, was that I just knew when things were going to happen. It was like I had a really good gut.

"Elena, Jenna's going to text you in about five seconds." I told her casually, standing up, and then sitting down next to Damon.

Sure enough, Jenna texted Elena asking her to come home for dinner. Elena stared at me, a little weirded out, before she and Stefan made their way to the front door.

"Are you coming, Hailey?" she asked me, sounding expectant.

"Nah, I think I'll raid their kitchen first. I'm starving." I said, closing my eyes.

"You can eat at my house." she offered. Suddenly, it became very clear to me that she didn't want me alone in a house with Damon. I didn't know why, but anger flared up in me.

"It's okay, Elena, I'll call you tomorrow." I said firmly, stretching out on the couch and putting my feet in Damon's lap.

I imagined that she was angry, but I was still a little pissed at her too. I heard her and Stefan leave, and just relaxed after this day full of revelations. After a few minutes, I stood up and walked to the kitchen.

"We should order pizza." I told him, as I walked to the fridge for some pop. I would try to hold off on drinking as long as possible.

"You amaze me, you know that?" he said, suddenly leaning against a wall in the kitchen. I jumped, and clutched my heart. Damon was going to give me a heart attack one day.

"I'm amazing, I know. But for what reason this time?" I asked, recovering, as I opened a coke and sipped it.

"When normal humans find out that they look like their crazy ancestor and that vampires want them dead, the first thing they do isn't to suggest order pizza. I'm actually a little disappointed." Damon admitted.

"pizza's good." I shrugged, sipping my coke.

"Come on, Hailey. You cannot be this calm, it's not natural." Damon exclaimed.

"well, technically, I've known for a few days that vampires wanted me dead." I pointed out, and Damon glared at me.

"I already had one breakdown this week, okay? My limit is one breakdown per lifetime, and I already reached it. Besides, what's freaking out about looking like a crazy chick gonna do? Nothing, it's not going to solve anything. So I'm going to just get over it and eat my damn pizza." I said, walking into the living room with my coke.

Damon blocked my way, and sighed. "I'll go get you your damn pizza, okay Hailey?" he said, his blue eyes surprisingly soft.

I nodded, and then Damon was gone. I closed my eyes, and leaned against a wall. Since I was alone, I had no distraction from my thoughts of Victoria. She had powers too, just like me. we had two things in common, our powers and our looks. What else would we have in common?

The question that I had been thinking about since I found out the truth refused to be ignored. I shut my eyes tight, as it floated around my head.

Was I going to go crazy too?

Without even really thinking, I walked to Damon's room. I flicked on the lights, and then stretched out on his bed. His scent comforted me slightly, but it couldn't make my problems go away.

I was going to go crazy like Victoria, I was sure of it. I was going to kill myself like she did. And that thought mixed with the fact that vampires wanted me and my friends dead sent tears down my cheeks.

I tried wiping them away- I would never like crying. But they kept coming, along with anger and frustration that I couldn't do anything about my fate. I was either going to go insane and kill myself, or vampires were going to do it for me. it was only a question of what happened first.

Suddenly, I wasn't alone in Damon's bed. Damon wrapped his arms silently around me, as I cried into his chest for the second time in 24 hours. I pulled away from him, and wiped my tears angrily away.

"You're not Victoria, okay? Remember that." Damon told me, as I laid down on his bed, my back to him.

"But I am, Damon. We look the same, we have the same powers, and we're going to go out the same way." I said quietly.

"Your personalities are opposites, Hailey. You are blunt, sarcastic, impatient, and a stubborn pain in the ass. Victoria was polite, quiet, and boring. Now, does that sound like Hailey Ellis to you?" Damon said, pulling me so that I faced him.

I shook my head, still afraid. "But what if-" I started to say, but Damon put his hand over my mouth.

"I won't let you end up like Victoria, Hailey. I promise." Damon said softly.

I smiled slightly at him, and despite my fears that hadn't gone away, I felt better. I buried my face in his chest, hugging him tightly as if Damon could protect me from every bad thing in the world. I had no doubt at that moment that he would try his damnest to.

Damon leaned down and kissed me. it was unusually soft and romantic, two things I never associated with either of us. But the kiss grew more heated, and soon I was shirtless. And then Damon was shirtless. Clothes were ripped off of bodies, and torn to shreds.

That was one of the best nights of my life. That was the first time I ever had sex with Damon Salvatore.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **yay, so I didn't really expect to update this early, but my cousin went home earlier than I expected, so I had time to write.

Thank you to: vdemily, Carrie9586, AudreyDarke96, chalese, ZGeminilol23, SomebodyWhoCares, Samantha meyers, Pinkbeca, jacquline, colleenrawr, and HawthorneTree for reviewing!

Reviews are love :)

~Abby!


	23. awkward relationship limbo

**Chapter Twenty two**

**Awkward relationship limbo**

*Hailey*

I felt sunlight on my face, and my eyes flickered open. The first thing that registered in my mind was that I was naked. The second thing was that I was not in my own bed. And the third was that Damon Salvatore was asleep next to me.

Last night ran through my mind, but instead of feeling guilty or like an idiot, a grin grew onto my face. I had _sex _with Damon. A little voice in my head that sounded a lot like Elena told me that this wasn't a thing to be proud of, but I couldn't stop grinning for two reasons. one, the people who said that sex wasn't the answer was wrong, because all my thoughts about Victoria, vampires, and death, were blocked out by my after-sex euphoria. And the second was that vampire sex was _amazing_. True, I only had a few experiences with an ex-boyfriend when I was fifteen to compare it to, but it was still amazing.

I looked to my right to look at Damon's sleeping figure, and ran my hand through his hair. He looked so innocent asleep, it was adorable. I smiled a little, before turning over on my side, and trying to hear if anyone else was in the house. I couldn't hear anything, so I took that to mean that the house was empty.

Carefully, I got out of the bed, as to not wake up Damon, and then looked around for my clothes. I found the remains of my tank top and jeans thrown across the room. I smirked a little to myself as I looked around for something to cover myself. I found Damon's shirt from last night still in good condition, so I put it on.

I slipped out of Damon's room, and into a bathroom. I dropped Damon's shirt, and then got into the shower. The warm water woke me up, but my euphoria didn't go away.

I heard the shower door slide open, just seconds before I felt hands slip around my wet waist. I turned around to kiss Damon, and he pushed my against the shower wall. His hands ran through my slippery wet hair, as I wrapped my arms around his neck, and we went for round two in the shower.

I Decided, as I slipped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around my body, that the only thing better than vampire sex was vampire shower sex. I ran down the long hallway to Damon's bedroom giggling with that same stupid grin on my face. I had left Damon in my wake, leaving him wanting more. I slipped into his room, and slammed the door shut. I turned around, only to face Damon, who was smirking at me.

"You didn't actually think you were getting away that easily, did you?" he asked me, as he pulled my dripping wet body to him, and kissed me hard.

As I allowed him to push me onto his bed, I caught the time on the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was 10:30, which meant I was really, really late for school.

I sighed, and tried to pull away from him. "Damon, I need to go to school." I mumbled, as he continued kissing me.

"Since when?" he mumbled into my neck, trying to pull my towel away from me

"I haven't been there in more than a week." I said, feeling my determination wavering.

Damon sighed, and pulled away from me, lying down on his bed. I pulled up my towel up, and then lay down next to him. His hand rested on my bare knee, and I kept having to hit him when it kept adventuring up. Damon had the power to keep me here all day, but I needed to see Elena, to fix us.

"Can't you just skip one more day?" he pleaded, and I sighed. I had to be strong.

"If I could Damon, I would. I would much rather be with you than in school." I said, and Damon smirked.

"Then you should stay." he said, getting on top of me, and kissing my neck.

"I can't spend all day in bed with you Damon." I said, weakly, knowing that he was very close to getting me to stay with him.

"Who says we have to be in bed?" he smirked, and I laughed. then I flipped us over to that I was on top.

"If I didn't go to school, Elena would probably think that you murdered me and buried my body in the woods." I argued, putting my arms around his neck.

He opened his mouth to argue, before sighing and closing it. He knew that I was right.

I smiled victoriously, and kissed him quickly on the lips. Then I got off of him, and dropped my towel before walking to his closet.

"Now, that's just mean." He groaned, as I took my time finding clothes to wear to my house.

I smirked to myself, as I slipped on a pair of his boxers and his shirt. My wet hair dripped onto his black shirt, as I walked over to him again.

"I'll call you after." I told Damon, kissing him quickly.

"You better." He called, as I walked out of his room, before he could convince be to stay.

_**~LMF~**_

I walked onto campus, dressed in simple jeans and a t-shirt. I was still in a good mood, it was slowly fading. I spotted Elena and Stefan talking, and walked over to them.

"Hey guys," I said cheerfully, sipping the coffee that I brought from home.

"Where have you been? You're late." Elena said, her eyes not meeting mine.

"I showed up, didn't I?" I said, not letting our obvious issues ruin my good mood.

Elena shrugged, and then turned to Stefan. "We should get to French." She told him.

He nodded. "Yeah, just give me a second. I want to talk to Hailey." He said, looking at me.

I shrugged, and Elena slowly walked away. "What's up Stefan?" I said, sitting down on the picnic table next to him.

"I just wanted to see how you're doing with the whole Victoria thing." He said kindly, and I smiled slightly. He was a good guy.

"I'm doing as good as anyone would when they find out that they look like an insane girl who killed herself." I shrugged casually, not really wanting to think about her.

"You're not Victoria though, okay? You're not going to end up like her." He told me, and I smiled.

"That's what Damon said," I said absentmindedly, and Stefan's eyebrows rose.

"I know it's not any of my business, but what's going on between you two?" he asked.

"It's… complicated, Stefan." I sighed, not really knowing how to describe Damon and I. we were friends, we were sleeping together, and I was falling for him. We were stuck in awkward relationship limbo.

"I'm not going to tell you that Damon's a bad guy, because I'm sure that Elena's going to do that enough for both of us, I'm just going to tell you to be careful." He said, and I smiled thankfully.

"He's really not as bad as either of you think." I told him, pushing my bangs out of my eyes.

"I have to say, he's a lot better now than he used to be." Stefan admitted.

"Are you saying that I'm a good influence on Damon? That's a first." I said, raising my eyebrows. People usually said I was a bad influence, not a good one.

Stefan smiled. "Yeah, I guess you are." He said, and then his smile went away.

"This is going to sound like a weird question, but did Damon say who changed us?" he asked, and I frowned. That was a weird question.

"Yeah, just a random vampire. Why, isn't that what happened?" I asked, and a torn look crossed Stefan's face.

Seconds passed, before Stefan finally said, "Yeah, it is. I just wondering." The bell rang, and he stood up. "I should get going to class. Bye, Hailey."

I watched him leave, still frowning. If that's what really happened, why did he ask me about it?

_**~LMF~**_

I walked to my car at the end of the school day, only to see Elena running up to me.

"Hailey, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the Grill with me? I think we need to talk." She said, and I nodded.

"Sure, we can just take your car." I said, not really looking forward to this conversation with Elena.

The car ride to the grill was silent, while I considered what to tell Elena. A part of me wanted to tell her all about my feelings for Damon, but she wouldn't understand. She'd tell me to stay away from him, and I couldn't do that.

Elena got us a table, while I got us food. I was digging into my nachos, while Elena watched me, looking deep in thought.

"What?" I asked, swallowing some cheesy goodness.

Elena opened her mouth to speak, when her phone started to vibrate. She clicked the "talk" button, before putting it to her ear.

"Hello?" she said politely, before recognition dawned on her face, and she handed it to me silently.

"Yeah?" I said, nowhere near as polite as Elena.

"Hailey! Where's your phone? Every time I call it, it goes straight to voicemail!" my mother's voice shouted into my ear.

"Oh, I smashed it against my wall, like last week." I said nonchalantly, hoping for the love of god that she wouldn't mention that I wasn't home last night, since Elena could hear what she was saying.

Thankfully, my mom didn't care about my safety and well-being. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm going away on a trip, and won't be back until Sunday. If you throw a party, I _will_ find out, and I will kick you out onto the streets if you do." she threatened before hanging up.

"Love you too, mom!" I said sarcastically to the dial tone.

"Hey, how long do you think it would take to get everyone at my house and have the party of the century?" I asked Elena nonchalantly, as I passed the phone back.

"I thought your mom said she'll kick you out if you throw a party?" Elena questioned, putting her phone back into her purse.

"I don't question that she wants an excuse to, but she won't." I answered, taking a sip of my coke.

"What do you mean?' she asked, a crease forming between her eyebrows.

"because it would look bad, kicking out her seventeen year old daughter for throwing an itty bitty party. People would talk, and she would look like the cold, heartless bitch she is." I said, shoving fries into my mouth.

"Besides, I wouldn't care, I'd just move in with you." I added, dipping a fry into ketchup.

Elena smiled at me, before her expression turned thoughtful. "Spill it, before you hurt yourself, thinking so hard." I said, tired with her being so lost in thought.

"Are you and Damon…uh, together?" she asked bluntly.

I raised my eyebrows, but my stomach dropped to the floor. How'd she know? "What do you mean, together?" I asked, playing dumb, and dipping a fry into ketchup, all the while my heart beating rapidly.

"Like, are you guys dating, or you know, anything like that?" she explained, her cheeks tinged with pink. This was clearly very awkward for her.

"Me and Damon? Dating? Of course not!" I said, laughing, though my heart was thumping so hard against my chest, I'm sure Elena can see it. It technically wasn't a lie, since I didn't know _what _we were, but I still felt guilty.

"Then explain why you told Damon you were physic before you told me!" she exclaimed.

"when I found out what he was, I figured he would understand!" I shot back, though I realized that she was just upset that I told Damon before her.

"Understand better than your best friend?" she said, her voice rising, and her brown eyes glinting dangerously.

"Yes Elena! I thought that he would understand it better than you did! And you know what? I'm not sorry I didn't tell you, because you reacted the same way I thought you would! I saw that look in your eyes; you thought I was insane! Besides, you obviously didn't tell me everything, so why should I tell you everything?" I said my temper spiking.

"That's so not fair, Hailey! I didn't tell you about Stefan and Damon, because it wasn't my secret to tell!" she yelled back. We were getting looks, but neither of us noticed nor cared.

"I'm not talking about them, I'm talking about Victoria." I hissed, and Elena's look of anger faded when she realized we were both at fault.

"Stefan said that it probably wasn't a big deal. besides, if I did, you probably wouldn't have believed me!" she whispered fiercely.

My anger at her faded and I knew that she was right.

We both were silent for a while, not looking at each other, until Elena finally said, "We both were wrong, okay? You should've told me about your powers, and I should've told you about Victoria. So I'm sorry." she said, and I looked up at her with a soft expression.

"I'm sorry too, Lena. Truce?" I said, and she smiled at me.

"Truce." she agreed.

No one said anything, and I thought that Elena and I were good, until she asked, "So, what is going on between you and Damon?"

I sighed, "We're friends, Elena. That's all. and I know that you don't approve, but I'm not going to argue with you about him, okay?" I said.

Elena sighed, but nodded. I couldn't tell if she believed me or not. Suddenly, her phone rang, signaling a text.

"It's Jenna, I have to get home." She said to me, reading the text message. "Do you want a ride?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I think I'll hang out here a little longer." I remembered that I had somebody waiting for me.

"You sure? How are you going to get home?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I'll get a ride." I said casually, finishing off my fries.

"Okay, just be careful, okay Hails?" she said, standing up.

"As careful as I can be." I said smirking at her as she walked away.

After I was sure she was gone, I walked to a payphone, and called Damon. "Hello?" he said after a couple of rings.

"Can you come pick me up?" I asked, leaning against a nearby wall.

"You said that you were coming over after school." he said, registering my voice right away. I couldn't help but smile at the fact that he missed me.

"Elena wanted to talk, and she's already suspicious of us. So, can you come pick me up, and then maybe we can pick up where we left off this morning" I said flirtatiously.

"Where are you?" he said right away, and I laughed.

"The Grill and hurry."

"I'll be there in ten."

After we hung up, I swung my backpack over my shoulders, and went to wait outside. I was so lost in my thoughts about sex with Damon, that I didn't even register what a stupid idea this was.

I leaned against the wall outside the building, as more people came in and out. It was already night outside, and the cool breeze was blowing my bangs into my face. It had been about five minutes since my phone call to Damon, and I was the only one outside. Suddenly, I heard I loud noise coming from the side of the building facing the woods.

Whenever I watched horror movies, and the stupid, half-naked girl victims always went to investigate the noise when they were all alone in the middle of the woods, I thought that anyone with half a mind would run away from the noise, not towards it. but sadly, that's exactly what I did.

I walked slowly towards the noises, ready to throw anyone away from me with my telekinesis, when suddenly; I was grabbed from behind, and yanked into the shadows.

A hand was muffling my screams, and my green eyes met with hazel ones. they dilated, and I heard a voice I've only heard once before say, "Stay still, and don't scream. You're fine."

I suddenly remembered Damon telling me about compulsion, and knew that this was what the person was trying to do to me. But for some reason, it wasn't working. I could still scream, and move my body, and definitely didn't feel fine. but my common sense, which was usually pushed into a far corner of my brain, told me that the vampire shouldn't know this. so I stopped screaming, stood perfectly still, and said, like a zombie, "I'm fine."

The vampire took his hand from my mouth, and backed away, so that he could get a good look of me, and that's when I recognized him.

It was Nikolai.

He was looking at me, a soft look in his eyes. "You look so much like her." he said, as he reached out a hand and ran two fingers over my cheek, and I had to force myself not to flinch.

"They're gonna kill me when they find out." he said, pulling away, and starting to pace in front of me. He was talking more to himself than to me.

"Especially Candy. But I couldn't stay away, I had to see you." he continued, and I looked for a way to escape, while praying that Damon would show up soon.

"I should kill you, you know." he said abruptly, and my attention focused back on him.

"What they have planned for you, especially Candace, it would be much less painful for you, if I just snapped your neck right now. But I can't, I'm too selfish." he looked back into my eyes, before sighing.

"Ah, how I've missed those eyes."

Suddenly, I flicked my hand at him, and he went flying into the forest. I turned and ran as fast as I could, towards the Grill. If only I could make it inside, to people, I would be safe.

But it was too late; just as I was halfway to the door; Nikolai was standing in front of me, a look of curiosity in his eyes. "Word from the wise; never try to outrun a vampire, you'll lose." he said, walking towards me, So that I bumped into a brick wall.

He placed his hands on either side of me, so that I was trapped. I gulped, and for the second time in a week, I was scared for my life. "You can block out compulsion; Victoria couldn't." he said, sounding impressed.

I raised my hands to make him fly across the parking lot, but he grabbed them and held them above my head.

"I'm not here to hurt you, Hailey. I just needed to see you." he said, and my spine tingled unpleasantly when he said my name.

"DAMON!" I screamed as loud as I could, hoping that Damon would hear. Nikolai covered my mouth, but it was too late.

"I told you that I wasn't going to hurt you." he said, before disappearing into the night.

I shook slightly, as Damon suddenly appeared in front of me. He stared at me, concerned, as he took me into his arms. "What happened?" he asked.

I just shook my head, still shaken up. "Nicolai." I whispered, as I rested my head on his shoulder.

If he didn't want to hurt me, what did he want?

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: colleenrawr, Samantha meyers, vdemily, jacquline, Angelfang, SomebodyWhoCares, and HawthorneTree for reviewing!

Reviews inspire me!

~Abby :)


	24. feelings and broken hearts

**Chapter twenty three**

**Feelings and broken hearts**

*Damon*

"For the last time, I'm fine Damon! I'm just a little freaked right now, that's all." Hailey said, as she threw open the door leading into her bedroom, and tossed her jacket onto the desk.

Damon followed her, looking around her room. It was a lot messier then it was the last time he had been in it. Bottles littered the floor, and it looked like a tornado had run through it multiple times.

"Well, I'm just double checking, since you didn't look so good in the car." he said, leaning against the door as he watched Hailey kick trash aside and make her way to her closet.

"I'm fine." she repeated, digging through the closet. "Besides, I don't think Nikolai ever planned to hurt me."

Damon went rigid at his name. _Nicolai__._That stupid tool. He never liked him, back in 1864. And he definitely didn't like him now. He knew that Nikolai never planned to hurt her, and that made him angrier then it would've if he had.

"I know he doesn't want to hurt you, he's in love with you." Damon said, his tone casual, but his voice hard.

Hailey froze, before saying, "What do you mean, 'in love with me?'" she turned around to look at him, looking surprised.

Damon's usual sarcastic smirk fell upon his lips. "Well, more like he's obsessed with you." despite his smirk, his words made his insides feel like lead.

"Why?" Hailey asked dumbly, pushing her bangs out of her face.

Damon's smirk grew bigger. "Oh, I don't know." he said sarcastically. "It's not like you look like the dead girl he's been in love with for over a hundred years, or anything."

Hailey glared at him, before saying, "So, you're saying that he, um…"

"Wants you? Yeah, and I doubt that he's gonna stop until he gets you." Damon's teeth gritted in jealousy.

"But he doesn't love me; he loves the girl I look like." Hailey said, turning back to the closet.

"Doesn't matter, you look like Victoria. As long as you look like her, that's how long Nikolai will want you." He continued, his voice stiff with jealousy.

Hailey turned around and smirked at him. "Are you _jealous, _Damon Salvatore?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," he said quickly, playing it off. "I just think that it sucks for you, that you have some vampire obsessed with you, because you look like Victoria." He shrugged.

"Mm hmm." She said, smirking. "Well, thank you for pitying me Damon."

Hailey pulled off her black t-shirt, to reveal a lacy purple bra. She acted as if he wasn't there, and pulled off her jeans to show off matching purple panties.

She was teasing him, something she loved to do. Hailey took her time to grab some shorts and a tank top, and to put them on. Damon watched her the entire time, letting his lust for her take him over.

Damon wished that he could say his feelings for Hailey stopped at lust. No, Damon cared for her. It was hard for him to admit it to himself, but Damon was falling for her. Hell, when he was with her, it was like Katherine never existed.

Damon shook his head to clear his thoughts. He didn't want to think about those confusing thoughts right then. So instead, he walked over to Hailey and kissed her.

She kissed him back, her arms wrapping around his neck. He picked her up so that he wouldn't have to bend down to kiss her, and her long legs wrapped around his waist. They somehow made it to her bed, and Damon pulled away from her just long enough to get her shirt and bra off.

Damon had hoped that sleeping with Hailey would make his jealousy go away, his feelings for her go away, but if anything, they just intensified.

_**~LMF~**_

Hailey's head was on his bare chest, her dark hair splayed out around her. He heard her deep breathing, showing that she was asleep. Damon couldn't sleep though. He was too busy trying to pick apart the jumble of emotions that she made him feel.

He was attracted to her, definitely. He liked having her around- he just liked her in general, as a person. But he cared about her, was falling for her. He was jealous and slightly possessive, and whenever she was in danger, he felt like he might be physically sick. She made him forget all about Katherine. She made him question if he was falling in love with her.

He groaned out loud, causing Hailey to twitch in her sleep. Love. Whenever he thought about love, he thought about Katherine. But did he even love Katherine? He felt for her, but it wasn't like with Hailey. With Hailey, it was fun, easy, and drama-free, besides the fact that her best friend hated him with intensity. With Katherine it was complicated and dramatic. He was constantly jealous of his own brother.

But he was convinced that he was in love with her for over a century. He opened a tomb for her, killed for her. She couldn't mean anything to him, if he did that for her. And he was hiding her from Hailey that had to mean something.

That was another thing. Hailey was bound to find out about her sooner or later. With Elena being her doppelganger, and Victoria being her best friend, she would stumble upon the truth soon enough. And by then, he'd have to choose between them.

For a long time, it was Katherine. Always Katherine. But now there was Hailey, who made him question if he even loved Katherine in the first place. But he was going to hurt Hailey, if she found out the truth and he didn't have an answer for her. Just thought of Hailey hurting tore him up inside, he couldn't even imagine the idea of her hurting because of him.

He groaned again, as Hailey shifted, and threw an arm around him, as if hugging him. He needed to think, he needed a clear head.

He got out of the bed, carefully lying Hailey on her pillow so that she wouldn't wake up. He dressed quickly, and headed for her bedroom window; it was a quicker exit. He looked at Hailey's sleeping figure, completely unaware that he was leaving her like a one nightstand. He needed to think, to choose which girl he really cared for.

So Damon tore his gaze from Hailey, and jumped from her window without another thought.

*Hailey*

I groaned, and stretched my arms, as I slowly woke up. I rolled over, and stretched again, waking up some more. My naked body felt sore, as I pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top. I was suddenly aware that I was alone in my room, and I wondered where Damon was. I pulled my dark hair into a ponytail, before I walked out of my room to go look and see if he was in the kitchen.

I jumped every other step in my hurry to find Damon, post-sex bliss taking over. The same stupid grin that was on my face the morning before, was again plastered on. I couldn't wait to find Damon, so that we could continue last night. I was considering skipping school, so that I could spend all day in bed with him, since my mom wasn't home.

He wasn't in the living room, so I walked into the kitchen to find it just as empty. My eyebrows pushed together, as I wondered where he could be.

"Damon?" I said, knowing that he could hear me if he was in the house.

"Damon? Where are you?" I said louder, frustration noticeable in my voice. He wouldn't just sleep with me, then leave in the middle of the night? Like some pathetic drunken hook up?

"Why are you yelling for Damon?"

The voice appeared out of nowhere, and I jumped about ten feet in the air. At first, I thought that the tomb vampires had managed to get into my house, before I turned around to meet Elena's accusing brown eyes.

"Oh, Elena it's you. Don't sneak up on me, you almost gave me a heart attack!' I said, taking a deep breath, and pushing my bangs out of my face.

"Why were you yelling for Damon?" she repeated, crossing her arms over her chest. Then she took in my appearance, and her eyes widened.

"You two…" she muttered, before meeting my frozen gaze.

"You said that you two were friends! You lied to me! Again!" she yelled at me, her voice filled with anger.

"Elena, please, let me explain-" I tried to say, but she cut me off.

"I warned you, and warned you to stay away from Damon. That he was dangerous, that he would hurt you, but of course you didn't listen. You never listen!" she shrieked, and I stepped back.

"Elena, just calm down-" I said, but she ignored me.

"I was trying to protect you from him, Hailey. But of course, you just ignored me. How long have you two been together? You two have probably been sneaking around, behind my back for weeks, haven't you?" she said, but didn't let me answer.

"You don't get it, Hailey. He's a monster, a _monster. _He's killed people, tons of people. He plays with your mind and your emotions, and he uses girls. He's _using _you Hailey, don't you get it? He's a monster, and sooner or later, he's going kill you, once he's through with you."

"Damon would never do that! He cares about me!" I shouted at her, the words leaving my lips without permission.

"Oh, really?" Elena said in disbelief, pity in her gaze. "If he _cares _about you, I bet he told you all about Katherine then."

"Katherine?" the name triggered my memory, and I vaguely remember reading about her in Victoria's diary, and that a vampire from the cemetery mentioned her, while taunting Damon.

"Katherine Pierce, the girl who changed Stefan and Damon, back in 1864. Damon is in love with her Hailey, he always will be." Elena said.

My heart dropped, and I felt sick. Damon loved another girl, a vampire. I had been falling for him, and the whole time he was using me. And throughout this whole time, this whole mess with Victoria and vampires, Damon had been there. All those things he had said to comfort me, he hadn't meant any of them. He hadn't really cared about me at all.

I closed my eyes, as my kitchen table snapped in half. I tried to be angry at him, tried to destroy things, but it was all half assed. I didn't have it in me to be angry, not at that moment.

I bit my lip, and turned my back on Elena. I didn't want her to see me cry. I tried not to, I didn't want to cry over Damon. But it was hard not to, when the man you had been falling for just broke your heart.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **a really quick update, I hope it makes up for the fact that I broke them up :(

Thank you to: vdemily, SomebodyWhoCares, and colleenrawr for reviewing!

Reviews are encouraged :)

~Abby!


	25. always Katherine

**Chapter twenty four**

**Always Katherine**

*Hailey*

Elena's angry expression instantly sobered as she watched me try to hide my tears. She hurried to me, and pulled me into her arms.

"I'm sorry, Hailey." she murmured, hugging me tight. "I didn't realize you liked him that much."

"I don't." I argued, though we both knew that it was a lie. I pulled out of her arms, and brushed my tears out of my eyes.

I walked to the liquor cabinet, and pulled a random bottle out of it, opened it, and took a long sip, before sitting on the counter.

"Tell me everything about Katherine." I said my voice firm. If there was one thing I was good at, it was hiding my emotions. _Except when it came to Damon, _a voice in my head said, but I blocked it out.

Elena watched me, her eyes full of concern. But then she sighed, and told me everything she knew about Katherine Pierce.

"Back in 1864, Stefan and Damon were in love with her. They thought that she was trapped in the tomb with the other vampires, but when Damon opened the tomb last year, she wasn't there. That's why he left last year, he was… he was heartbroken." She told me, and I flinched.

"There's something else, Hailey." She said, looking uncomfortable.

"What?" I asked, knowing that it wasn't going to be good.

"I look like Katherine. I'm her doppelganger." Elena told me.

"What?" I asked, as the already broken table smashed against the wall.

Elena went to hug me, but I flinched away from her. If there was anything that could make this situation worse, it was finding out that the woman who the guy I was falling for was in love with looked like my best friend.

"Hailey…" Elena sighed, and I shook my head.

"I know it's not your fault, I'm sorry." I said, taking a long gulp of my bottle. I just wanted to be alone with my drink.

"Can you go, Elena? I just want to be alone." I said, walking towards the stairs.

"Hailey, please-"he tried to say, but I cut her off.

"Just leave me alone!" I shouted, running up the stairs.

I slammed my door shut, and locked it. Ellie came out from under my bed and purred at me, but I ignored her.

My heart ached, as I stared at the bed Damon and I were tangled up in hours ago. Did he even care about me, or was I just something to pass the time with? I knew that he probably used me for sex, that I meant nothing to him.

I angrily wiped my tears away, and threw the bottle I was holding against the wall. I smirked a little at the sound of the glass breaking, but it didn't make my heartache go away.

"I hate you, Damon Salvatore." I told my room.

I successfully managed to stop crying. I wouldn't cry over Damon, I wouldn't give him anymore satisfaction than I already have. I bet that he found it hilarious, how I was so obviously head over heels for him.

I stared at Damon's shirt on my floor, the one I had worn home yesterday. I gritted my teeth, and kicked it under my bed. I was done with this, I was done with him. I wouldn't let him hurt me anymore than he already had.

With my new attitude, I hurried out of my room, and down to where Elena was slowly walking to her car. I wished that I had listened to her since the beginning. If only I could turn back time, I would make sure that I never gave myself the chance to fall for Damon Salvatore in the first place.

_**~LMF~**_

I avoided Damon the rest of the week. He tried to get ahold of me, but I was spending most of my time with Elena and Stefan. I didn't even think that he knew I knew about Katherine.

A part of me wanted to hunt Damon down and kick his ass. That's what I would've done to any other guy who broke my heart. But Damon wasn't any other guy, he never had been. And I was worried that if I saw him, I would either convince myself to forget about Katherine and jump into his arms, or burst into tears. Besides, I wasn't over him, not even close. I still cared about him, still liked him a lot more than I would like to admit.

To distract me, Elena made sure that I was busy every single day of the week. We went to movies and went shopping. She had either forgotten about her anger towards me for lying to her, or was burying it down deep.

I also had cheerleading practice to busy myself with. I found that I was actually pretty good at her, minus the cheering part. It was even almost fun at some times, but that was mostly when Caroline fell on her ass.

Caroline wasn't nearly as bitchy as she used to be, due to Ava's death. She was quiet and spent most of her time with Matt. but when she did talk, she was usually yelling at me for doing a move wrong, or that my back flips were too sloppy. I held back my snaky comments for Matt, who told me to lay off of Caroline, since she was going through a "Rough time."

My life was pretty busy, the week following the truth about Katherine being revealed. But I somehow always managed to find time to think about Damon. About how all the times we kissed, had sex and he held me in his arms, he was in love with Katherine. I never meant anything to him, and that hurt the most.

"Hey, Tyler." I yelled at him, running to catch up with him. It was Friday, and there was a football game tonight, my first one as a cheerleader. I was also planning to take advantage of my mom being gone, and throw a wild party, the kind pre-Damon Hailey threw on a daily basis.

"What's up?" he asked, as I walked up next to him.

"I'm having a party tonight, and I need you to get the word out." I said without beating around the bush. I knew that Tyler could get the news around faster than I could, and that he'd be excited for a classic Ellis party.

I didn't need to be psychic to predict his reaction. His face broke into a huge grin, and he exclaimed, "Yes! It's been way too long since you threw a party." he threw his arm around my shoulders, and I laughed.

"I know it has. My mom's gone too, so you know that I have to throw the biggest party in the history of parties." I replied, as we walked to chemistry together.

"Well, it shouldn't be too hard to get the word out." he said as we walked into a noisy hallway.

Tyler smirked at me, removed his arm from my shoulders, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted, "Hey everybody! Party at Hailey Ellis's after the game tonight!"

People cheered, and I smirked to myself. I used to be known for throwing the wildest parties, and not getting caught for them. I was glad to see that people still remembered me as that person.

Tyler and I walked into class together, people gossiping about my party tonight. I convinced myself that this was a good idea, exactly what I needed. I convinced myself that I was still this person, this alcoholic party girl. I wished that I was, since it was so much easier being her. But instead, I was now this heartbroken psychic, who acted stronger than she actually was.

I had changed, though I didn't want to admit it to myself. So I grinned and assured people that my party was going to live up to my other ones. I reassured myself that I needed this party, when deep down, I didn't really want it at all.

_**~LMF~**_

I stared at my uniform clad figure reflected back in the mirror in my room. I looked scarily preppy in my cheerleader uniform, with my hair pulled into a ponytail with black and red ribbons. I hoped that Elena was happy.

"You've been avoiding me."

I stiffened, and closed my eyes. I would know that voice anywhere.

I wasn't ready for this, to face him. I had been imagining are meeting in my head, and though I hated to admit it, a lot of them ended in me jumping into Damon's arms and forgiving him. I couldn't do that though, I couldn't just forget that he was in love with another woman.

I planned that I when I did see Damon, I would act calm and cool. I would act like he didn't shatter my heart into a million pieces. I'd tell him off for lying to me, and tell him to stay away. But I'd act like I wasn't affected, not really. I'd act careless.

The first thing I did when I turned around to face Damon was slap him across the face.

"Stay the hell away from me." I hissed, grabbing my jacket and car keys, before bolting for the door.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Damon asked, as he suddenly appeared in front of me, blocking my way.

"You lied to me, Damon. I told you I was done with the lies, but you just kept on lying." I babbled, feeling my eyes burn with invisible tears.

"What are you talking about?" Damon's eyebrows were furrowed, but there was a knowing glint in his eyes.

"I'm talking about Katherine." I smirked at him, feeding on my anger instead of my heartache. "I'm talking about how you used me and pretended to care about me, while you loved her the entire time."

"Hailey, just listen-"he started to say, but I slapped him again. It felt nice, to hit him. To make him hurt like he hurt me.

"Don't Damon, okay? I don't want to hear your excuses, I just want you to leave me alone." I told him, my voice cold.

"Just let me talk for a sec-"he said, irritated. There was a red handprint on his cheek, and it made me feel better.

I cut him off again. "I don't want to hear it, Damon!" I exclaimed, raising my hand again.

Damon grabbed my wrist, his fingers wrapping around it tightly. I flinched at the pain, but didn't say anything.

"I was going to tell you, Hailey, I was. You don't understand." He said softly, as if trying to get me to forgive him. But there was no way I could do that. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

"Just let me go, Damon." I said quietly, avoiding his gaze.

"Please-"he pleaded, but I just shook my head.

"Me or Katherine?" I asked bluntly.

"What?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing and his grip loosening.

"Choose right now. Me or Katherine?" I repeated, looking up and locking eyes with him.

For one second, I thought he would grin at me and say, "You, Hailey. Of course it's you." But he stayed silent.

If it was possible, my heart broke even more. I pulled away from him, and avoided his eyes. "Exactly. because it's Katherine, Damon. It will always be Katherine."

I slipped past him, and didn't look back. I wouldn't let him see me cry.

I made it all the way to my car, before the tears I kept in since the beginning of the week started falling down. I slid into the driver's side of my car, and started shake as I sobbed into my steering wheel. I was ruining my makeup, but I didn't find it in me to care.

Damon will always choose Katherine over me, which was exactly why we would never work. Still, a part of me wanted him to pull me out of my car and let me cry into his chest like I had two times before. But Damon never showed up, and I didn't really expect him to.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: HawthorneTree, jacquline, SomebodyWhoCares, Chella8181, colleenrawr, vdemily, Samantha meyers, and Pinkbeca for reviewing!

Reviews inspire updates ;)

~Abby :D


	26. the crash

**Chapter twenty five**

**The crash**

*Hailey*

I walked to the football field, walking through crowds of excited students buzzing about the game and my after-party. I scanned the crowds for Elena as I walked, not seeing her until I met up with the cheerleaders right by the field. I did not intend to tell her about my confrontation with Damon. She'd tried to talk about him with me this entire week, but I kept changing the subject. I didn't want to talk.

"Be careful, Caroline's in a mood." she warned me, frowning at how messy my makeup looked, despite my attempts to clean it up. Just then Caroline spotted me.

"Hailey! You're late!" she barked, coming over to me.

On normal occasions, I would've ignored her, and maybe roll my eyes, but since I was all worked up over Damon, Caroline being bitchy was what I needed.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, I showed up, didn't I?" I smirked. Elena gave me a warning look, but it was too late.

Caroline glared at me. "You should be on your hands and knees thanking me that I let you on this team, Ellis." she snarled, and I laughed humorlessly at her.

"Thanking you? If anything, I should hate you more!" I shot back.

"What Ava ever saw in you, I'll never know!" she yelled at me.

"Really, I was just thinking the same thing about you! At least we were alike; all you two had in common was your last name!" I yelled back, my temper getting the best of me. The guilt from Ava's death plus my pain and anger about Damon wasn't a good combination.

Caroline blanched as if I just slapped her, and I suddenly felt a strong grip on my arm yank me away from the rest of the group.

"Hailey! I told you to be nicer to Caroline!" Matt yelled at me, glaring.

"She started it!" I said childishly, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Caroline hasn't been taking Ava's death well, and the last thing she needs is you picking on her!" Matt insisted, glaring at me. I don't think I'd ever seen him so angry.

"'Picking on her?' you make it sound like we're in kindergarten and I just stole her Barbie doll!" I hissed at him.

"Well, you're acting like it!" he shot back.

"What do you even see in her, Matt? You're too good for her! She's a slutty bitch!" I yelled at him. If I couldn't take my anger out on Caroline, I'd take it out on him for sticking up for her.

"Caroline's made some mistakes, but so have you! And when you love somebody, you see past their mistakes, to the good in them. I love Caroline, and if you care about me, you'll care about her too. At least enough to stop bullying her! I don't want to choose between you two, but if I have to, I choose Caroline." and with that, Matt walked away from me and onto the field.

I stood staring after him, thinking that he was the second man tonight to choose a bitch over me. But in this case, I suppose that I deserved it. Did I really want to lose Matt because I hated Caroline?

I shook my head to clear it, and walked onto the field where the cheerleaders were gathered. I ignored Caroline and Matt, who were kissing, and walked over to Elena, who was at the edge of the field, talking to some of her old cheerleading friends.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked me, as she walked away from the two girls she was talking to.

"Yeah, I just feel like a bitch, that's all." I replied, as I blew my bangs out of my face, like I did whenever I was disgruntled.

Elena didn't say anything, but just watched as the football players ran onto the field, the cheerleaders and crowd cheering loudly.

"Are you sure you're okay, Hailey? You've been acting different ever since-" I knew what she was going to say next, but I cut her off.

"I don't want to talk about it, Elena. I fine, okay. It's not like it was anything serious." I shrugged, biting my lip.

"Well, didn't you guys… you know-?"

"Have sex? Course not! I'm not a slut; I don't just do it with anybody!" I exclaimed, lying through my teeth.

"I know that Hailey!" Elena said quickly, "It's just that, when I found you-"

"We didn't do it, Elena. Now just drop it." I snapped, my temper rising. I felt extremely guilty, though, when she looked like I'd just kicked her in the stomach.

"Elena, I'm so-" I started to say, but she cut me off.

"Whatever Hailey," she said, walking to the stands.

Ugh, I had to stop letting Damon get to me. I already cried over him, now it was time to move on. I had to stop snapping at my friends who were just trying to help.

The game was boring, because I didn't care that much about football. The only fun parts were- I was sad to say- was the cheerleading routines.

I was a flyer, which meant I did a lot of cool tricks in the air. We were pretty good as a team. The opposing team's cheerleaders were good too, though they were all stuck up bitches. Mystic Falls won- which was a surprise, because our team sucked. I was glad though, because I could cheer extra loud and piss them off.

"What a bunch of cheer whores." Caroline muttered under her breathe, as the cheerleaders stomped their feet and glared at us.

I choked on a laugh, and I goggled at Caroline like she was some strange alien from a different planet. Who knew she was funny?

All the cheerleaders were buzzing about our win and how my party was going be awesome, but I just stood around edge of them. I wore the same uniform as them, but that didn't mean I was one of them. At least, not yet. I shuddered at that thought.

I instead looked at the crowd that was making its way to the parking lot. I loved people watching. Suddenly my insides turned to ice as I thought I spotted Damon inside the crowd watching me, but in a blink of an eye, he was gone.

I took a shaky breath and looked away. I spotted Tyler over by a group of football players, all of them sweaty and gross. I walked over to him, since he was the one friend I hadn't pissed off tonight.

"Hey, Hails." He grinned, as he spotted me.

"I thought I told you that if you ever called me Hails again, I would kick your ass." I said, wrinkling my nose at him. He smelled like sweat and dude.

"Go take a shower, you smell." I said, pushing him away from me.

"Oh, does that mean you want a hug, _Hails?_" he smirked at me, before giving me a big bear hug.

"Tyler, I will kick your ass into next year." I threatened, giggling. He let go of me, his brown eyes glittering mischievously.

I knew right then, that if I got drunk enough tonight, I would definitely be hooking up with Tyler. Alcohol mixed with my broken heart would result in me doing something I had always shut down, because my mom would approve of it. I knew it was way too soon to jump into a new relationship, but I wasn't asking for that. I was asking for a hot hook up to help me rebound from Damon. Tyler could definitely help me do that.

"Find me at my party later, okay?" I told him, smirking to myself.

"Why?" his eyebrows furrowed.

I sighed. Guys were so slow. "Because if I get drunk enough tonight, you're going to get some action." I said, and his eyes widened.

I walked away from Tyler, ignoring the hollowness in my stomach. I knew that it was a really bad idea, especially since Tyler and I were friends, but I needed a bad idea or two, to get over Damon. I needed some fun.

As I made my way to my car, I heard some people arguing, and turned my head towards the sounds to see Caroline being cornered by three of the other team's cheerleaders.

I don't know if it was because of my conversation with Matt, the fact that only I got to bully Caroline, or that I was still angry, and would happily kick the cheerleaders' non-existent asses, but I changed my route to my car, and instead, made a beeline for Caroline.

"Is there a problem?" I said, as I came to a stop at my captain's side. Caroline's eyes widened at me, and I gave her an easy smirk.

"Oh look Forbes; it's one of your cheer sluts here to rescue you. Ooh, I'm so scared!" cackled the blonde in the middle, obviously the leader. Her two cronies let out high-pitched shrieks, that made my ears hurt.

"Ok, Blondie, let's get some things straight here." I said, coming to step in front of Caroline like a bodyguard.

"First of all, I'm not a cheer slut. That'd be you, blonde and blonder. Second, only one person in the entire universe gets to harass Caroline Forbes, and that's me. So it'd be best to get as far away from me as possible, before I rip your fake blonde hair out of your skull. And third, you shouldn't be afraid of me, you should be freaking terrified."

Blondie's eyes widened for a second before she laughed in my face. "Why on earth would I be terrified of some depressed emo bitch? I have my pride, you know."

But I was already taking my earrings out. "Caroline, dear, hold these for me." I said to her, handing her my earrings.

Then without a moment's thought, I punched Blondie in her fake nose, and she screamed in pain. Left hand clutching bloody nose, she charged at me, and I easily dodged her. She ran into a tree, and fell to the ground, knocked out.

I turned to face Blonde and Blonder, who just stared wide eyed at me, before hurrying over to Blondie. I smirked victoriously as I turned to face Caroline, who was staring at me with shock plastered on her face.

I took my earrings from her, and put them back on, while she continued to stare at me. "What?" I said after I had my earrings on.

"I can't believe you did that." she said, her voice filled with awe.

"Did what?" I said, putting a hand on my hip.

"You stood up for me! I haven't seen you do that for anyone but Elena." She said, grinning.

I sighed, and straightened my skirt, before saying, "Listen, Caroline. I have something to say to you, and don't interrupt me, or I might not be able to finish it."

Caroline stayed silent, and I took that as her permission, so I said the long speech that formed inside my head.

"I'm a bitch. There's no doubt about that. But I'm especially a bitch to you, and there's really no good reason for that. I know we've hated each other since kindergarten, but I don't know why. We just have. And lately, I've been a bigger bitch than usual, and earlier when I brought up Ava, I had no right to say those things. And I guess what I'm trying to say is that I-I'm s-s-orr-orry." I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes before starting again.

"I'm sorry. I'm going to try to be less bitchy to you, because, well, Matt's my friend. He's like my big brother, and I love him like one. And he loves you, and I'm not gonna let the fact that I hate you ruin our friendship. So I'm gonna suck it up, and get over it. But let's get one thing straight- if you break Matt's heart, I will make you regret that you were ever born." then I smiled at her, a thing that felt so unusual on my face.

"Bye Caroline." I said, before starting to walk towards my car.

"Are you and Matt coming to my party?" I called over my shoulder.

"Wouldn't miss it." she called back, a small smile on her face.

"Good." I said, as I watched Matt hurry over to Caroline. He mouthed a 'thank you' to me as he did, and I smiled at him.

As my car came into my line of vision, I saw Elena leaning against it. "That was oddly nice of you." she said, as I searched for my keys in my purse.

"What can I say? I'm a nice person." I shrugged.

Elena laughed, as I unlocked my car.

"I'm sorry Lena. I know you're just trying to help, but I really don't want to talk about the D-word. At least, not yet." I apologized for what felt like the millionth time tonight. I didn't apologize much, because I wasn't one to admit I was wrong.

Elena looked at me softly. "You really cared about him, didn't you?" she said.

I didn't meet her gaze. "Yeah, well, we all make mistakes."

I ran a hand through my hair, not wanting to think about Damon. "Do you and Stefan wanna come over to help set up for the party? I don't know how to set up the speaker without electrocuting myself."

Elena laughed, and nodded, though I knew she could see right through my subject change. She started to walk away from me, but she said softly, "I saw you with Tyler earlier, Hailey. I know you're thinking about hooking up with him tonight, but it's a bad idea. I used to push you two together, but you're still hurting over _him, _and hooking up with Tyler won't change that. You'll ruin your friendship."

She walked away without another word, and I considered her speech. She was right of course; Elena seemed to be always right. But if I didn't hook up with Tyler, it was going to be somebody else.

As I started my car, Elena's words replayed repeatedly in my head. _"You really cared about him, didn't you?" _

The stubborn part of me wanted to say of course I didn't, I was just having fun with Damon. But I was too tired to argue, too tired to lie to myself. I did care about him. Maybe a lot, maybe too much. It didn't matter, it hurt either way. If there were any way in the world to forget Damon Salvatore, I'd do it, no matter the cost.

I was so lost in my thoughts of Damon, that I didn't see the people standing in the middle of the road.

I swerved off the road as hit them, and ran into a tree, my head smashing into the steering wheel.

Everything went black for what felt like hours, but when my eyelids fluttered open, I saw a person, a vampire, and a foot away from me.

I didn't even have the chance to scream, before he picked my car up with me in it, and tossed it across the road.

The last thing I heard before my head smashed into the windshield was, "The families will pay for what they did to us."

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: jacquline, SomebodyWhoCares, msgreenphoenix, Chella8181, Angelfang, kat, and colleenrawr for reviewing!

Reviews= faster updates!

~Abby :)


	27. it's not okay

**Chapter twenty six**

**It's not okay**

*Damon*

Damon walked down the long road to his house. He knew that it would be much faster to run, but he was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't care. He knew that he screwed up royally with Hailey, that she hated- no _loathed_- him now, and she had every right to. She wouldn't be the first person to. But the difference with her and everyone else was that he cared what she thought of him.

He wished he didn't care. It would make it so much easier to forget about her, to move on. Though he shouldn't have had to move on at all, really. He shouldn't have cared about Hailey at all, and that was his big mistake, that's what screwed everything up. He _cared_. She made him care. Not just about her, but about other things, as ironic as it was. The girl who acted like she didn't give a damn about anything or anyone made him start to care again.

He wished that she hadn't found out about Katherine like that. He should've told her. He should've told her that he chose her over Katherine, but he couldn't. He didn't know who he wanted. He could've lied, but Hailey didn't deserve anymore lies. If Damon really did care about Hailey, he'd leave Mystic Falls as fast as he could.

He wanted to leave- at least, most of him did. It would fix everything. The group of vampires seeking revenge on the founding families wouldn't be able to kill him, and after a few months filled with blood, sex, and girls, he'd forget about Hailey, and how'd she made him feel almost human again. But then there was the picture that was burned into his mind. Hailey flirting shamelessly with that Lockwood kid. It killed him, the idea of her with another man. It killed him, the idea of leaving her behind.

Damon shook his head. He needed to leave, for the sake of everyone- for Hailey- he needed to. He needed to let Hailey Ellis grow old, get married, have kids, and die. He needed to let her have a normal life; he needed to let her go.

Suddenly, a delicious, alluring smell hit the air, a smell that'd he had smelled only a few times before, but would recognize for the rest of his existence. Hailey's blood. Without thinking, Damon ran towards the smell, forgetting all about leaving Mystic Falls, forgetting that Hailey hated him, only caring that she was in possible danger, and that he felt sick to his stomach whenever she was in a life or death situation.

Within seconds, Damon was standing in front of Hailey's totaled car, where feet from it, two vampires were standing. They were reaching for Hailey, who was unconscious and very bloody. He could hear a faint heartbeat, but it was fading fast.

As soon as they saw Damon looking anxiously at Hailey's dying figure, they ran. Damon didn't even glance at them. He ran to Hailey, and carefully pulled her out of the car that she loved more than anything.

He was painfully aware of her blood smeared all over her. Part of him- the monster, the vampire- wanted to drain her dry, but all that anxiousness and fear he felt for her pushed those feelings away.

Damon brushed a long piece of jet black hair out of her face, listening to her slowing heartbeat. There was only one thing to do. Without thought of what he was doing, Damon bit his wrist, and fed her his blood.

He pulled his wrist away, just as Hailey's eyes fluttered open. He smiled slightly in relief. She would make it. His Hailey would be okay.

"Damon?" she said, her voice barely audible for vampire ears.

"It's okay Hailey, everything's okay." he said soothingly, as he laid her gently down against the road next to her car, before taking out his cell phone and calling 911.

He couldn't stay. Now that he knew Hailey would be okay, his thirst was getting the better of him. He could barely control the urge to drink her blood, and there was a lot of it.

He looked down at Hailey, who looked so weak and defenseless that it calmed down his thirst a little bit. He was able to think with a clear head. He couldn't leave Hailey alone. The vampires could come back, and she had no way of defending herself.

So instead of leaving, Damon pulled her into his arms. Her head fell against his chest, and he realized how much he had missed her that week, how much he would always miss her.

"W-wha happened Damon?" Hailey whispered against the fabric of his shirt.

"You were attacked Hailey." he said calmly, though he was suddenly boiling with rage at the thought of someone hurting _his _Hailey.

_She's not yours; _a voice in his head reminded him_._

"Oh, dat's not good." she murmured, before her eyes fluttered closed.

A few minutes later, he heard the sirens of the ambulance, and gently pulled away from Hailey. He disappeared before the medics saw him, but watched from the forest as they loaded Hailey into the back of the truck, just in case the vampires came back.

But they didn't, and it wasn't until the sound of sirens disappeared into the night that he finally left his hiding spot. Every fiber of his being wanted to go to the hospital, to make sure Hailey was okay, but he knew that he couldn't. For one, Elena and Stefan would be there. He also knew that once Hailey woke up and came to her senses, she wouldn't want to see him, whether he saved her life or not.

So instead of running to the hospital, Damon ran back home. He knew that he should've packed up his things, but Hailey's attack changed things for him. He couldn't leave, no matter how much he should've.

The whole point of leaving was so that he could move on from her. But Damon was just starting to realize that he could never move on from Hailey Ellis.

*Elena*

Elena watched as her best friend drove away from the school parking lot. She couldn't stop thinking about Hailey and Tyler getting together. It would be a mistake especially since Tyler would be just a rebound to her. Suddenly, she felt arms wrap around her waist.

"If you keep thinking that hard, you'll get frown lines." Stefan murmured as he kissed her.

"I'm just thinking about this whole Hailey-Damon mess." she answered, leaning into his arms.

"You can't do anything about that, Elena. Hailey's just going to have to heal on her own. And if I know Damon, he'll be gone by the time I get home."

Elena smiled at the thought of having Damon gone. She had never liked Damon, but after what he had done to her best friend, she hated every fiber of his being.

"Come on, I promised Hailey we'd help set up for the party." she told her boyfriend, kissing him softly on the lips.

Hand in hand, they walked to Stefan's car, and drove to Hailey's house. Elena expected Hailey to be waiting for them when she got out of the car, But the house was pitch black inside.

Elena walked up to the front door, and knocked, Stefan on her heels. When no one answered, Elena got the spare key from under a tacky pot, and unlocked the door.

"Hailey?" Elena shouted into the empty house, walking in to the house, while Stefan turned on lights.

"Where is she?" Elena said out loud to no one in particular.

"Probably buying the strongest liquor she can find on short notice." Stefan answered.

Elena nodded. But for some reason, she didn't totally believe that. Suddenly, her phone rang.

Thinking that it had to be Hailey, she answered right away. "Hello?" she said anxiously.

"Are you Elena Gilbert?" said a soothing female voice that wasn't Hailey's.

"Yes I am." she said suspiciously.

"We have you down as the emergency contact for Hailey Ellis. I'm very sorry to tell you, but she has been in a car crash."

Elena's heart stopped beating. The lady continued talking but she didn't hear what she was saying.

"Is she still alive?" Elena cut in.

"Yes, she's actually in a very stable condition, considering the situation-"

"I'll be there in ten minutes." she said bluntly before hanging up.

She looked up at Stefan with sad eyes, and Stefan took her into his arms.

"She said that Hailey was in a stable condition. She'll be fine." he reassured her. Then they both got back in his car and drove to the hospital.

When they reached the hospital, Elena sprinted to the reception desk, and tried to keep her voice calm as she asked, "What room is Hailey Ellis in?"

The receptionist looked cranky as she asked, "Are you related to the patient?"

"I'm her sister." she said without a thought.

"What about him?" she gestured to Stefan, though she did give him the up-down.

"Ugh-"

"He's going to have to wait in the waiting room, but you can go up. Room 502 on the fifth floor." the lady said, not looking to upset that Stefan would have to wait there with her.

"Its fine, Elena." Stefan said soothingly when Elena opened her mouth to argue.

Elena hugged him tightly for a few moments, before heading to the elevator. She practically ran to room 502, only to come face to face with a doctor, who was blocking her view of Hailey.

"I'm sorry miss, only family can come into this patient's room." he said briskly, pushing Elena away.

"I'm her sister!" Elena growled, glaring at the doctor.

"Oh, I'm sorry." he said, stepping away.

Elena ignored him, and ran to Hailey's side. Her stomach dropping as she looked at her best friend.

Hailey looked too pale, and had tubes and wires connected all over her. Her long black hair was pulled up into a messy bun, so that it wasn't in her face. She had scratches and cuts all over her body, and her left leg and right arm both had casts on them.

But despite all that, Hailey Ellis was grinning up at her.

"Hey, Lena." she said, her voice weak and hoarse.

"Hailey!" Elena said, her eyes widening with shock.

"I know, I'm lucky aren't I?" Hailey said in a voice that Elena suddenly recognized as her patronizing, falsely cheerful voice.

"The doctors here worked a miracle on me." she continued, smiling widely at the doctor who had stopped Elena and was now standing in the doorway.

"Dr. Harris, would you mind giving me and my sister some alone time?" Hailey said in the same tone she'd been using the whole time.

"Of course not, Hailey." he said, before leaving.

As soon as the door shut, Hailey's grin fell off her face, and she looked more serious then Elena had ever seen in her in her entire life.

"Where's Stefan?"

"In the waiting room. They wouldn't let him come up." Elena said, becoming more anxious at Hailey's behavior.

Hailey reached for a remote, and pressed a button. A few seconds later, a cranky old woman came in.

"What do you need this time, Ms. Ellis?" she asked irritably.

"Downstairs in the waiting room, there's a guy named Stefan Salvatore. Bring him up. Please." Hailey added the last part when Elena glared at her.

"You know that non-family members aren't allowed up-" she started to say, but Hailey cut her off.

"Yes, I know the rules, but I need him up here. It's super important." Hailey said.

The nurse just eyed Hailey, and Hailey added, "If it makes any difference, he's my cousin.."

"Your cousin." the nurse repeated skeptically.

"Yep, he's part of my family, and I need him up here." Hailey said, not one trace in her voice that she was lying.

The nurse finally nodded, then left. "What happened, Hailey?" Elena said anxiously, once they were alone.

"I'll tell you when Stefan gets up here." Hailey said, leaning against her pillow before giving Elena a real smile.

"I love how much I'm rubbing off on you. With the lying, and the yelling at innocent bystanders… next thing you know, you'll be getting wasted in sleazy bars, wasted and singing with drunk bikers." Hailey said.

Elena laughed, just as Stefan came into the room, shutting the door behind him. "If anyone asks, you're my cousin." Hailey told him, and Stefan nodded.

"What happened?" Elena and Stefan asked at the same time.

"Oh, that's easy. Those damn tomb vamps tried to kill me. again." Hailey said nonchalantly.

"We kind of figured that's what happened. How'd you survive?" Stefan asked, and Hailey looked down at her hands before looking back up at them.

"Damon."

She barely whispered the words, but both Elena and Stefan caught the name.

"How?" Elena asked skeptically, not believing for a second that Damon would help anyone but himself.

"I don't know." Hailey admitted. "All I know is that after a vamp threw my car across the road, I got knocked out. Then when I finally came to, the first thing I saw was Damon, and he told me that everything was okay. The rest was a blur. I think I fell asleep, because the next thing I know, I woke up here."

Elena snorted, but Stefan remained silent. He turned to the door, and Elena asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'll be back." was all Stefan said, before he disappeared out the door.

*Damon*

Damon sat on the couch, drinking whiskey. suddenly, Stefan appeared in front of him.

"Hello, little brother." Damon greeted, taking a long sip. He knew what was coming.

"Did you know that Hailey's in the hospital?" Stefan asked bluntly, not taking his eyes off his big brother.

Damon raised his eyebrow. "No, I didn't. why should I care?" Damon said, forcing indifference in his tone.

Stefan ignored the last part. "it was really bad. She's alive though. She's actually in a very stable condition. She can talk and everything. The funny thing, though Damon, is that Hailey should be dead. The crash was way too bad, and the tomb vampires were the ones who caused it. So even if the impact didn't kill her, they would've. Do you know how she survived Damon?"

"Must be a Christmas miracle." Damon said sarcastically, standing up and walking to the kitchen.

"I know you saved her, Damon." Stefan said quietly, and Damon stopped in his tracks.

"Why would I do such a thing, Stefan? What, do you think I care if Hailey lives or dies?" Damon asked, dangerous anger in his voice.

"That's exactly what I think. You do care about Hailey, and it scares the hell out of you."

Damon loathed his brother at that moment for being completely right. "I didn't, Stefan. I don't care about Hailey, and I didn't save her." Damon insisted, turning to face his brother.

"There's no other explanation, Damon. Hailey said the first thing she saw when she woke up after the car crash was you. And there's no way she could've healed so quickly and fully- if at all- without vampire blood, Especially with the tomb vampires."

Damon had no answer for that, so he turned around, and continued to walk to the kitchen.

"It's okay, you know. That you're in love with Hailey."

Stefan's words triggered something inside Damon, and suddenly, he dropped his glass and slammed Stefan into the wall by his neck before it even shattered.

"Let's get one thing straight, little brother. I'm _not _in love with Hailey. I don't care about her. And I sure as hell didn't save her. Sure, she was fun to play with for a little while, but everything gets old sooner or later. I don't care if she lives or dies, and the next time you say anything different, I'll rip your heart out."

Letting go of his brother, Damon walked into the kitchen and down into the basement for blood. The whole time, his unspoken answer to Stefan's statement played over and over in his head. _no, Stefan, it's not okay._

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **I'm sorry for the pretty mean cliff hanger last chapter. I know that a lot of you just barely tolerate them, and that I only get away with them because I update really fast.

Thank you to: Samantha meyers, SomebodyWhoCares, Angelfang, smile654, HawthorneTree, vdemily, DayDreamBabyBee and jacquline for reviewing!

Reviews inspire updates ;)

~Abby! 


	28. just friends

**Chapter twenty seven**

**Just friends**

*Hailey*

My days at the hospital past by quickly. I was stuck there for four days, even though I healed very, very fast, and my "broken" arm and leg were fully healed on day two. The doctors said that they must've made a mistake and that they were never broken in the first place, but I knew the truth.

It was Damon's blood that healed me, that saved my life.

Elena was always by my bedside, all four days. She brought me books, magazines, and real food; so that I didn't have to eat the gross hospital sludge that they tried to pass off as real food. They didn't fool me.

On my second day at Hospital Hell, Elena came baring gifts and news. She brought me the latest magazines she could find at the store, my stuffed bunny -which I had had since I was four, and had named Floppy. I used to sleep with him all the time, but I hadn't since I hit middle school and "Grew up". It was nice to have him around though- and some food from McDonald's. But her news was much more important to me.

"Stefan confronted Damon last night, about saving you." Elena told me hesitantly, pulling up a chair to the side of my bed.

"Oh, how'd that go?" I asked, already knowing what she was going to say.

"Damon said that he didn't save you. Hailey, he-"a look of pure loathing passed through Elena's brown eyes. "He told Stefan that he didn't care if you died. He doesn't care about you, Hailey. I'm so sorry."

Her words still made me flinch, even though I knew better than to believe them. Elena obviously did though.

"He's an asshole, Hailey." She said fiercely, opening her laptop and setting it in front of us. "With any luck, he'll be out of Mystic Falls and our lives before you get out of here."

I nodded, and silently turned my attention to the movie, _The Help, _playing on her laptop. I knew that Elena wanted me to agree, to call Damon a name and say how badly I wanted him out of my town. But I couldn't because it would all be lies. Like how Damon lied about saving me.

I knew it as well as I knew my own name. Damon Salvatore doesn't save just anybody; he saved me because he'd miss me if I was dead. And that was good enough for me.

I didn't forgive him for lying to me, for breaking my heart. It didn't change the fact that it will always be Katherine for him. But Damon honestly cared about me, enough to save me. I could accept that, mostly because I missed him like hell.

That was another reason why I wanted to leave this damn hospital, so that I could see Damon, and try to fix our screwed up relationship. because he had yet to visit me. Not that I expected him to show up, I just wished that he would.

Another reason I hated my hospital stay was my mom.

They called her right after they called Elena. And she was pissed. No, not because some jackass didn't know how not to drink and drive- that was my story. No, mommy dearest was pissed because I brought her home early from her vacation. And in return, she made my hospital life even worse- which was saying something. Thankfully, Elena -who she liked much, much more than her own daughter- convinced her that she should continue her vacation on my third day at hell.

I had visitors besides my bitch of a mom, Elena and Stefan. Matt and Caroline came to see me, and things between Caroline and I was much better. We had an unspoken truce that we'd tolerate each other for Matt's sake.

Tyler came to see me too. Things between us were kind of awkward, since I hit on him in my hurry to get over Damon. I regretted it now, I could've ruined our friendship.

"Hey," Tyler said awkwardly, as he set a half-dead pot of flowers on the table next to my bed.

"You suck at giving presents, Tyler." I told him bluntly, frowning at the pathetic daisies.

"I do not!" he defended himself, sitting down in the chair next to me.

"Tell that to the card I got on my birthday last year, made out of a napkin and a green crayon." I shot back.

"It matched your eyes." he retorted.

"Or the piece of toast I got on Christmas four years ago- with a bite already out of it." I said, and Tyler shrugged.

"I was hungry." He defended himself.

"What about the bottle of beer I got for Hanukkah last year?" I asked, trying to cross my arms over my chest, but the damn cast got in my way.

"What's wrong with that?" Tyler asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm not Jewish, and I hate beer." Tyler rolled his eyes.

"Just face it Tyler, you're a cheap bastard who sucks at buying presents and forgets birthdays and holidays." I said, and Tyler laughed.

An awkward silence settled over us, as we both remembered my last words to him. I sighed, hating past-Hailey who was looking for a rebound.

"I'm sorry about Friday." I blurted out, looking at the white, sterile room we were in. it was creepy. "I hit on you, and I shouldn't of have. I sort of… just got broken up with, and I was looking for a rebound. Since you're a man whore, I ran to you."

Tyler ignored the jibe, and frowned at me. "I didn't know you were seeing anybody." He murmured to himself.

I shrugged. "It's not important, I just want to forget it, okay?"

Tyler nodded, "It's forgotten."

With my mom gone with the awkwardness between Tyler and I, I thought that things might be getting better. I was wrong, of course.

Elena and Stefan went into over-protective parent mode, and refused to let me be alone, in case any of the tomb vamps decided to come and finish the job they started. Stefan even spiked the waiting room coffee with vervain. It was insane, and I felt like I was being suffocated. I always had to stop and remind myself that they were just trying to keep me alive.

It was one AM, and I woke up from my sleep yet again. I had had troubles sleeping that week, with dreams of a box, knife, house, and a familiar girl waking me up. I wished I knew what it meant- if it was a vision, or just my messed up subconscious.

Elena was asleep in the chair next to me, and I sighed before trying to fall back into sleep. But something caught my eye, in the corner of my room.

I blinked, and he was gone. But I was so sure that I had seen Damon, checking up on me. I was grinning to myself, hugging Floppy tight, when I fell back into a dreamless sleep.

_**~LMF~**_

I embraced day five, my last day with open arms. I was finally leaving, and I was so excited. Elena was going to pick me up and take me back to my house. I missed my house. I missed Ellie. I hadn't seen her in so long.

The car ride was normal, and I could tell Elena was glad that I would be protected by my house. I was pretty glad too. I knew that I pretended to be the usual "not afraid of anything" Hailey, but I was. I was afraid of the vamps that wanted me and my friends dead. I was scared, though I'd never tell anyone that.

Alone in my house, I finally let the exhaustion from not getting any real sleep take over and I fell asleep on the couch, not even bothering of walking up the stairs.

A few hours of no crazy dreams later, I woke up to find that it was pitch black outside, but I felt wide awake. It was a Wednesday night, but I didn't start school until next week, so that I could "recover."

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, as I sat up. Ellie was curled up at my feet, fast asleep. I smiled slightly at her, before an idea popping into my head. I didn't think, I just did it.

Grabbing my mom's car keys, I drove to Damon's house. I needed to see him, even though it would be awkward. He still hurt me pretty badly, and I was far from over him. But I had things that I needed to tell Damon, and I missed him so much.

I prayed that Stefan wasn't home. Damon would never be honest if his brother could hear us. I knocked hesitantly on the front door, thinking of what I might say to him.

Damon opened the door, and his eyes widened when he saw me. He didn't say anything, and walked into his house. I followed him, shutting the door behind me.

"Is Stefan home?" I asked, as Damon took a long swig of whiskey from a bottle, not even bothering to use a glass.

Damon shook his head slightly, refusing to meet my gaze. I just sighed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Thank you." I told him bluntly.

Damon turned around and raised his eyebrows at me. "For what?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "You know what."

Damon turned away from me. "I don't know what you're talking about." he said stubbornly.

I just raised my eyebrows at his back. "You don't fool me, Damon Salvatore. I know that you saved me from the car accident, that you fed me your blood so that I wouldn't die, just like I know that you checked on me every night that I was in the hospital. You may fool Stefan and Elena into believing that you're a heartless, careless monster, Damon, but not me."

He didn't say anything, just stared intently at me, as if searching for something. I smiled at him again. "But don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I won't tell the others that you actually have a heart."

He didn't respond, just turned away, and then drained the rest of the bottle. I sighed quietly to myself, and stared at his back. It seemed like hours before he spoke.

"What do you want, Hailey?" He didn't say it like I was demanding anything, more like he was curious.

"I missed you Damon." I said abruptly, and Damon stiffened. "That doesn't mean that I forgive you, or that you didn't break my heart. But I missed you like hell, and if you leave, I'll track you down."

He turned to face me, an unreadable expression on his face. "Why are you saying this? What do you want?" he repeated.

"I want us to be friends, Damon."

I could practically hear his eyebrows shoot up. "Friends?" he repeated.

"I don't hate you Damon. I mean, it wasn't like what we had before was anything serious." that was the first time I'd lied to him. What we had wasn't just a fling to me. Hell, I was falling in love with him. I flinched slightly at that thought.

"Besides, we were friends before, we can be again. And you, me, Elena, and Stefan need to get over our differences and team up if we have any chance at fighting off the tomb vamps." I added.

Damon nodded slowly, seeing the truth in my words.

"Fine, Friends." he agreed.

I smiled at him. "Come on, _friend_. I'll let you but me a drink at the Grill."

Exes being friends never worked, I knew that. I watched Matt and Elena struggle with it every day, even though both of them had moved on. It would never be the same, your relationship. It was like taking a step back. It was trying to fit into something that you had outgrown. It was like me trying to be crazy, party girl Hailey, when I had matured beyond her. It was like Damon pretending to be a soulless, heartless monster, when he honestly cared about me. It never worked.

Yet, Damon and I agreed to be just friends, nothing more. And that's when the sexual tension settled over us like a fog, never moving, never thinning.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **I couldn't have Hailey hate Damon too long, it's not in me or her. My Thursday doesn't feel right, since there's no TVD on tonight. I got a taste of my own medicine, with that cliff hanger about Elijah. I missed him!

Thank you to: SomebodyWhoCares, jacquline, msgreenphoenix, colleenrawr, Pinkbeca, aireagle92, Chella8181, kat, stefanie, vdemily, and Carrie9586 for reviewing!

Reviews make my day :D

~Abby!


	29. the hot new guy

**Chapter twenty eight**

**The hot new guy**

*Hailey*

Elena and Stefan didn't take my new friendship with Damon very well. I know what a shocker. I didn't want to tell them at first, but I learned my lesson with keeping secrets from Elena.

"No way, Hailey. We can't trust him." she exclaimed during the car ride to school.

"I don't know about that, Elena." I said, leaning against my seat.

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked curiously from the driver's seat.

"I trust Damon. Besides, we're in a kill or be killed situation. It's us, team awesome- a nagging human, a vegetarian vampire, and an alcoholic psychic- against 5 bazillion tomb vamps. I think we can afford to add an arrogant vampire to our side." I said sarcastically, and Elena glared at me for calling her a "nagging human."

"What if he betrays us? It's not unlike Damon to trade sides." Elena argued.

'Not in a situation like this." I argued. "The tomb vamps hate the Salvatore brothers, and besides, he's already attacked them to protect me. There's no way they'd take him onto their side, and there's no way he'd go in the first place."

"Hailey's right." Stefan agreed, surprising me.

"Wow, Stef, you just went up a ton on my like-o-meter." I said, teasing him. Stefan smiled at me. Though, Elena looked angry.

"Damon's not someone we want against us, and the more people we have on our side, the better. Hailey's right, we're heading into a war, and the enemy's got a huge advantage. Besides, they want all of us dead, including Damon." Stefan said, and Elena sighed at his logic.

"Lena, do you trust me?" I asked her abruptly.

"Of course." she answered right away.

"Then you can trust Damon. I can't explain why- I don't even know myself- but I trust him. If he screws us over, then I give you permission to nag me the rest of my life, and my after-life." I said.

She looked at me, before sighing and giving in. "Fine, but I don't like or trust him." she said, before slumping in her seat.

"I never said you did," I responded, smirking victoriously.

Elena, Stefan, and I walked to class, and I kept getting looks that I ignored. I was used to staring. It was like this after my dad died. Stefan excused himself to use the bathroom, and Elena and I walked to History alone. Then suddenly, Elena stopped and hit my arm.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, hitting her back.

"Hot guy, straight ahead." she said. I looked and caught my breath.

A gorgeous guy was walking straight towards us, and was getting a lot of attention from the female population. I could see why- he was hot, with messy dark brown hair and hazel eyes. A part of me couldn't help but compare him to Damon. Damon won, though I chose to ignore that part.

"My morning just brightened up considerably." I said, not taking my eyes off him.

The warning bell for class rang, and I turned regretfully away from the hot new kid. Suddenly, Elena took my backpack from me, and dumped all of its contents out of it, before running away.

"What the hell, Elena?" I shouted at her retreating back. She just giggled in response.

I sighed angrily, before getting on my knees to restock my backpack. Why'd she do that?

"Are you okay?"

I looked up at the voice to come face-to-face with the hot new kid, and suddenly, Elena's actions made sense. Oh, I was going to murder her in her sleep.

"Fine." I said gruffly, turning away. "My friend just thinks she's funny, that's all."

"Oh, okay." but I heard him kneel down beside me, and started picking up my stuff.

"Here." he said, handing me a pile of books, magazines, and food wrappers.

"Thanks." I said in my same tone, zipping up my backpack.

I wasn't being nice to hot new kid because, for one, I'm not a nice person. And two, I had enough boy problems in my life, I didn't need another.

"You're welcome." he said easily, overlooking my cold shoulder.

I stood up, and slung my backpack over my shoulder, and started to walk towards history class, when he called, "Hey, can you help me? I don't know where my class is."

I turned around to face him, and looked at his cute face. Why was I being such a bitch to him? Because of Damon? There was no chance in hell that we could ever happen again.

I took a deep breathe, then nodded, and he smiled, before jogging to my side. "What's your next class?" I asked, in what I hoped was a nicer tone.

"Chemistry with Mrs. Brown." he said, looking down at a schedule.

I snorted. "Good luck with that." I said. "She's a major bitch."

He laughed. "I'm Nathan by the way." he said.

"Hailey." I said, managing to smile at him.

We stopped in front of a classroom, and I said, "Welcome to hell, Nathan. I hope you enjoy your stay."

He laughed again, and I found that I liked his laugh. "I'll see you around, Hailey?" he asked, going to open the door.

"If you're lucky enough." I called over my shoulder, already walking away.

That wasn't too bad. He was nice. I was still going to kill Elena, though.

I walked to History, and was five minutes late, but that was a good thing. The teacher chose to ignore me and continue on with his lecture. I sat down next to Stefan, and noticed that the seat on his right was empty. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Went home sick." he mouthed, before turning back to the teacher.

I nodded, and let my mind drift off. I thought about the hot new guy, and how he might just help me move on from Damon. It stupid and heartbreaking, letting yourself continue to fall for a man who was in love with someone else. I wouldn't let myself get hurt any more than I already had. That's where Nathan might come in.

_**~LMF~**_

It was during math class when it happened. I started getting an all too familiar headache, and immediately got a pass to go to the bathroom.

Thankfully, the bathroom was empty, so I curled up into a corner of the bathroom, and waited for the vision the come. A few minutes of excruciating pain later, it did.

_I was walking outside to get the mail. It was so cloudy, that there wasn't a ray of sun in the sky. I was the only one outside. When I pulled out the mail from the mailbox, and turned to go back inside, I suddenly heard something. A noise, coming from the woods across from my house. _

_I turned and looked at the spot I heard noises coming from. Then, I walked slowly backwards to my house. It could just be me being paranoid, but I didn't trust strange noises when I was just by myself._

_I turned around, and started walking back to the house. Suddenly, I was pulled to the ground by my ankles. _

_I let out a piercing scream and started kicking my legs, my brown hair flying everywhere. It was no use though; the vampire easily dragged me into the woods__._

_I was slammed against a tree, and a hand pressed against my mouth, to stop me from screaming. I distinctly heard, "The families will pay for what they did to us__." before something bit into my neck, and everything went black._

I gasped, and jolted up, as my eyes cleared of blood. I was filled with dread. No, _no. _I couldn't let that happen.

I jumped up, and started running from the bathroom to the closest door I could find. I didn't have a car, but I didn't care. Her house wasn't too far from school.

"Hey! Ms. Ellis! Where do you think you're going?"

I stopped, and turned to look at a teacher I didn't know, but who obviously knew me.

"Home." I said, crossing my arms over my chest, and covering my eyes with my bangs to hide that they were bloodshot.

"I don't think so, Hailey. Now get back to class." he said, before going to stand in front of the door.

I rolled my eyes, though my feeling of dread increased as I walked slowly back to class. What was I going to do? Before I walked into my class, I got an idea. I ran back to the bathroom, and dialed in Damon's number in my new cell phone.

"Hello?" I heard his voice answer on the second ring.

"Damon!" I said, silently thanking the gods.

"Hailey? What's up?" he asked, sounding curious.

"You need to get to Elena's house now!" I said, hoping that he'd do it. I couldn't lose her, I couldn't.

"Why?" he asked, sounding more curious.

"The tomb vamps are going to kill her! She went home early, and I just had a vision, and the stupid teachers won't let me leave! Please Damon, you can't let her die! Please!" I babbled, feeling tears starting to fall down my cheeks, and I wiped them away.

"They're going kill Elena?" he asked.

"Yes! Please stop it, Damon." I begged.

"Don't worry." he said, before hanging up.

I sighed and ran a hand over my hair. I couldn't help it, I was worried. I couldn't lose Elena, she just wasn't my best friend, and she was like my sister.

*Damon*

Damon hung up on Hailey, and then ran a hand through his hair. The tomb vampires were going to kill Elena; And Hailey wanted him to stop it.

He didn't know what to feel when it came to Elena's death. She didn't like him, but she meant a lot to both Hailey and Stefan, and he didn't necessarily hate either of them. He pretended to with Stefan, because it was easier to hate him than to forgive him.

She also looked like Katherine, though Damon wasn't so sure about Katherine anymore. He groaned, He knew that he had to stop Elena's murder. If he didn't, Hailey would blame him the rest of her life, and he would feel _guilty_. It was hard to believe, but it was true.

So, Damon ran to Elena's house. When he reached it, Elena was walking to the mailbox. She stopped and glared when she saw him.

"What do you want, Damon?" she said, while Damon looked around the empty neighborhood, looking for any signs of vampires.

"Get back in the house, Elena." he said, not taking his eyes off the woods in front of him.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Get back in the house." he repeated.

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, you're going die." he said simply.

"What the hell are you talking about, Damon?" she said, more confused than ever.

"Hailey had a vision that you're gonna die, so now I'm forced to play the hero. So get back in the house, before a tomb vampire turns you into his lunch." he said irritably, finally taking his eyes off the forest to look at her.

Elena's eyes widened, but she nodded, and started walking back to the empty suddenly, Damon saw a blur that only he could see, run right at Elena. Without thinking, Damon pushed Elena out of the way, and was slammed into the garage door. He heard Elena scream from her spot on the lawn.

"Get in the house!" he screamed at her, throwing a punch at the vampire. He heard Elena sprint into the house, as Damon slammed the vampire into the ground. Holding him there, he took a branch from nearby and plunged it into his heart. Then, the vampire was dead. It was over.

*Hailey*

After school, Stefan and I hurried over to Elena's. She was fine, just freaked out. Damon was long gone, though Elena admitted she trusted him a bit more than before, which made me happy. I was just glad that she wasn't dead.

I tried calling Damon, but he was ignoring my calls. I was pretty sure he didn't want people to start thinking he was a good guy now. But the truth was, Damon started being a good guy a long time ago.

Now I was curling up in my bed for some much overdue sleep. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

_I was in a room, and it was like I was a ghost. I was watching everything, not having it happen to me._

_There were two people in the room besides me, and they both looked very familiar. They were kissing, and it was pretty heated._

_Suddenly, the girl pulled away, and I saw who they were. I felt an unpleasant jolt in my stomach. It was Damon and Elena._

_I felt a surge of unwelcome jealousy, and then I remembered how outrageous this was. Elena hated Damon, and was in love with Stefan. She'd never kiss him._

_Then I got a good look what they were wearing. It was very old fashioned, probably from the 1800's. Something suddenly hit me. It wasn't Elena, it was Katherine. I was in some sort of weird flashback. But who's?_

_The answer became clear a few seconds later. A pretty girl knocked on the wall, wearing a dress like Katherine._

"_Am I interrupting anything?" she asked in a familiar voice, smiling a knowing smile._

"_Of course not, Victoria." Katherine answered, turning away from Damon, who looked at her like she was the center of his world. I felt sick to my stomach watching them, and focused my attention on Victoria._

_We did look exactly alike, it was like looking in a mirror. Same face, same eyes, same body build, same long jet black hair with bangs that covered our eyes. It could've been me talking to Katherine._

"_Good, because I need your help if you are not too busy." Victoria's eyes flickered to Damon and then back to Katherine._

"_Of course, Tori. I will__ meet you there." she said, then Victoria walked away. _

_Since I didn't feel like watching Katherine and Damon's make out session anymore, I followed Victoria. She walked out of the house, and started down a road. I had to jog to keep up with her, and she acted like I wasn't there._

_A few minutes later we stopped in front of an old Victorian house, one that looked very familiar to me, for me different reasons. One, it was the old Ellis manor, now in remains, where Elena and I used to play as kids. Two, it was where my strange dreams kept taking place, the one of a girl burying a box._

_Then I noticed that Victoria was holding a box, just like the one in my dream. She looked around to see if anyone was around, then opened it to reveal an old, bloody knife. It looked old even in the 1800's._

"_You should not__ be opening it out in the public like this."_

_I jumped, but Victoria smiled and turned to face Katherine, who smiled back. __"I can't help __it. It so beautiful." Victoria said wistfully._

"_It does hold a certain attraction." Katherine said, looking down at the jewel incrusted knife._

"_We need to hide it." Victoria said, closing the box, and then looking at Katherine._

"_I know, and I think the tunnels under your house would be best suited__." she said, and Victoria nodded._

"_You're right."_

_The two girls started walking towards the house, and I followed them. I couldn't keep my eyes off the box, because of what it held. I felt drawn to the knife, though afraid of it at the same time. Like a moth to a flame._

Suddenly, I fell to the ground, and woke up from my flashback/vision/dream thing. I looked around, my eyes adjusting to the darkness of the night. I think my room got darker.

I realized that I wasn't in my room. I was facing the ruins of an old, beautiful house. The Ellis manor.

How the hell did I get out here?

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **Thank you to: jacquline, SomebodyWhoCares, AubreySalvatore, aireagle92, and Kimmy W. Smith for reviewing!

Reviews inspire me!

~Abby :)


	30. the date

**Chapter twenty nine**

**The date**

*Hailey*

What the hell was I doing out here in the middle of the night? I sure sleep walked a long way. I ran a hand through my messy bed hair, and looked nervously around the pitch black area around me. Of course my unconsciousness had to choose the time to sleep walk across town when angry vamps want to drain every drop of blood from my body. How was I going to get home? I didn't have my cell on me, so I'd just have to walk.

I nervously started walking away from the creepy old house, and practically ran down the road leading away from it. I didn't know much about the manor, only that it'd been abandoned a long time ago, and that it was in the middle of nowhere.

The wind was cruel and whipped against me. It was even worse, since I was just wearing a tank top and a pair of boxer shorts. I wasn't wearing shoes, which sucked for my feet. I took a deep breath as I walked. I couldn't be that far from town, and it could be only a little past midnight, so I'd call someone from a pay phone once I reached one.

"Hailey? What are you doing out here?"

I screamed so loud that people in Peru would have no problem hearing. I whipped around and raised my hands, ready to kick some tomb vamp ass, when Damon raised his hands up. I gave a sigh of relief, and put a hand over my heart as if to calm it down.

"What the hell, Damon? Don't go around lurking at night like that! You're gonna give me a heart attack!" I exclaimed, taking a deep breath.

Damon ignored my words, and looked at me with his eyebrows furrowed. "What are you doing out here in your pajamas?" he asked, taking in my outfit. I pretended not to notice that his gaze lingered on my bare legs.

"It's a hell of a long story that I barely understand. What are you doing out here?" I asked, looking at him suspiciously.

"Tomb vampire hunting." Damon said, revealing a wooden stake. "I couldn't sleep."

I nodded, and then shivered again, as the wind beat against my bare skin. "Any luck?"

"Sadly, no." he said, before taking off his leather jacket and passing it to me.

I slipped it on gratefully, and the leathery smell of the jacket mixed with the smell of Damon hit me. I inhaled deeply, though I hid it from Damon.

"Thanks." I said, smiling at him.

"Do you need a ride?" Damon asked, as I basked in the warmness of his jacket.

"Yes." I answered, and followed him as he walked down the road. Somehow, the night didn't seem so threatening when Damon was at my side. Maybe it was because I'd watch him take down vampires, but I knew it wasn't that.

The jacket was a couple sizes too big for me, and the sleeves went past my hands, but I liked it. When we reached Damon's car, I slid into the passenger side, and pulled the jacket more tightly around me. I heard Damon come in on the driver's side, and then we were off to my house.

"So, why were you out in the middle of nowhere in your pajamas?" Damon asked again.

I told him all about my flashback dream thing, though I left out the part when he was making out with Katherine. Even if we were friends now, that was just too awkward.

"I remember that…" Damon said, obviously remembering his make out session with Katherine, though he didn't say anything about it, which was very unlike Damon.

"You know what this means, right?" I said, finally speaking what had been playing in my head.

"What's that?" he asked.

"I'm connected to Victoria, more than we thought."

Damon scoffed. "We already knew that. You guys have the same looks and the same powers. You've always been connected."

"Well, more than we thought if I'm starting to get her memories!" I argued.

"That's true." he admitted.

"What I want to know is what that knife was for. Did you ever see it?" I asked.

Damon shook his head slowly. "I don't think so, but I think it's pretty obvious what it was used for."

"What's that?" I asked absentmindedly, replaying the flashback in my head.

"It was what Victoria used to kill her mom and cousin, if she and Katherine wanted to hide it." I loved how we both pretended it wasn't awkward when he mentioned Katherine.

I nodded. "It was weird though, I felt sort of drawn to it. And Victoria did too. I saw it in her eyes." I remembered.

Damon sighed, and ran a hand over his face. "Things just got stranger, and that's saying something." he said.

"Maybe it's nothing." I said hopefully.

"Hailey, since when have your visions meant nothing?' he asked skeptically.

"All I'm saying is that they're a pain in the ass." I complained.

"Like vision, like physic." Damon muttered.

"Hey!" I said, hitting him on the arm.

And just like that, things were just like how they used to be, pre-Katherine. I could almost pretend that Damon and I were driving to my house to have sex, almost. Then we reached my house, and the illusion was all too soon over.

_**~LMF~**_

"Do you think it has anything to do with the tomb vampires?" Elena asked the next morning as we drove to school. It was just me and Elena this morning, Stefan was going to meet us there. I think he was still freaked out from Elena's close call with death. I know I was.

"I don't know, Elena. I hope not." I said, shaking out my wavy hair.

I was still wearing Damon's jacket, because he forgot to ask for it back. I liked it because it smelled like him. I was obsessed. I had just told Elena about last night's events, only rearranging things so that it didn't look like I still had feelings for Damon. I knew Elena still had that idea in her head.

"It freaks you out, doesn't it? That you're getting Victoria's memories?" Elena asked, and I nodded.

"I don't want to end up like her." I admitted, and Elena's gaze softened.

"You won't Hails, I won't let you." she said, squeezing my arm. "Besides, if you murder your mom, it won't be because you're saving her from anything." Elena added, and I laughed.

We pulled into the school parking lot, and Elena and I walked side by side to history class, then suddenly, Elena hit my arm again. "Ow! Lena, I love you, but hit me one more time, and I'll be forced to kick your ass." I said, as I rubbed the spot where she hit me.

"Hot new guy's looking at you." she said, and I turned to look at the spot she was pointing at. She was right. Nathan was looking at me with his pretty hazel eyes, and he smiled at me when he saw me looking back.

"Go get your man." Elena teased. I hip bumped her and then walked over to Nathan. I'd told her about my earlier conversation with him.

He smiled welcomingly at me. "Must be my lucky day if I'm seeing you again." he teased. I smirked at him, before sitting on a picnic table he was sitting at.

"Must be." I agreed, brushing a piece of hair out of my face.

"I know this might be too soon, but I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date tonight?" he asked, looking nervous.

I paused. I suddenly felt guilty like I was cheating on Damon. I mentally shook myself; Damon and I were just friends. We weren't a possibility; And Nathan was a hot guy who was interested in me.

"It really must be your lucky day." I teased, smiling back at him. His face brightened, and he touched my hand. Suddenly something strange happened. I felt a strong feeling of dread in the center of my stomach that was all too familiar, but I didn't want it to be true. Suddenly the bell rang.

"Gotta get to history class. It'd be such a shame to miss any opportunities to learn." I said sarcastically. He laughed, before I walked quickly to where Elena was waiting for me.

"Well?" she prompted, waiting for the details.

"We're going out tonight." I said, ignoring the feeling I got when he touched my hand. I just imagined it, hadn't I?

"Wow, you work fast." Elena laughed.

"Don't I?" the conversation changed to what I was going to wear and we could do. Soon, I forgot all about the strange feeling I got.

_**~LMF~**_

"What we need to do is take out the three boss people."

"Candace, Marcus, and Nikolai?" Stefan asked, and I nodded.

"Marcus is the main boss though." I said.

Elena, Stefan, and I were sitting in Stefan's living room, brainstorming ways to kill all the tomb vamps.

"That's easier said than done, though." Elena pointed out.

"It's _always _easier said than done, Lena." I said, pulling my hair up into a messy bun.

"What is?"

I looked up to see Damon looking at our little meeting with an interested expression.

"Killing the three bosses of the tomb vamps." I said, stretching out on the couch.

"You make it sound like a video game." Damon pointed out, amused.

"It kind of is. Though sadly, we don't get extra lives." I said, sighing.

"Marcus is gonna be the hardest to kill." Damon pointed out; take a seat next to my feet.

"Which is why we start with the easiest, and then work up." I said.

"It doesn't work like that, Hailey. All three of them are going to be hard to kill." Stefan said from his spot on the other couch with Elena in his lap. Ugh, their sugary sweet love made me sick.

"Yeah, but Nikolai has a weakness, so we can start with him." Damon pointed out, looking pleased with the idea of killing Nikolai.

"What's that?" I asked warily, already knowing what it was.

"You."

I groaned. "For the last time Damon, Nikolai's not in love with me!" I exclaimed.

"Actually, Damon has a point. You're his weakness, because Victoria was." Stefan said, and I glared at him.

"Looking like Victoria becomes a bigger pain in the ass every day." I said, running my hands through my hair.

"Hailey, it's six. You should probably start to get ready for your date." Elena abruptly, and I looked at my cellphone to verify the time.

"Date?" Damon asked. He looked at me, confused.

"Yeah, with the new guy at school." I explained, not meeting his gaze. Then I stood up and flung my backpack over my shoulder.

"Why are you going out on a date?" Damon asked again.

"Because he asked me, and I said yes." I still wouldn't meet his gaze. Stefan gave Damon a strange look. Damon glared at him, before his face went back to a confused/angry/broody mix.

"Call me during the middle of it and give me the details, so that I can bail you out if it's no good." Elena said, ignoring Damon's babble as she and Stefan walked up to his room.

"Sure thing, Lena, and thanks for letting me borrow your car." I said as she disappeared. I turned to Damon, who had a broody look on his face.

"I actually need to talk to you, Damon." I said, and he looked up at me, confused.

_**~LMF~**_

I was wearing a sexy red tank top, and the jeans that made my ass look good. My hair was down in curls, and I could easily say that my A-game had been brought. I looked really good, though I was still wearing Damon's jacket.

The date went well. Nathan was funny and charming. He pulled out my chair for me, and told me to order whatever I wanted at the Grill. It was easy to forget my feeling about him from earlier. Though it wasn't nearly as easy to forget about Damon.

During the middle of the date, I excused myself to the bathroom, to call Elena. I went outside to get better reception, when I was attacked.

I screamed out loud, before a hand was clamped tight over my mouth. I was slammed against the brick wall of the Grill, causing white dots to appear in my vision. I closed my eyes, the back of my head feeling white-hot with pain.

When I opened my eyes again, I was facing Nathan. he didn't look hot anymore. He had an evil smirk on his face, and looked slightly insane.

"Candace is going to be so happy that we finally got you. You've been a huge pain in the ass, you, and your visions." he said, his hands on my throat.

"So you're working with the tomb vamps." I said hoarsely as he crushed my windpipe.

"Yeah, and you were too stupid to notice." he said proudly.

"Not quite." Damon said from behind him, before ripping Nathan off me, and injecting him with vervain.

I gasped for air, and rubbed the back of my head. "Are you okay?" Damon asked me, his blue eyes full of concern. I nodded, glad that I trusted my gut at least a little bit.

_Flashback_

"_What?" he asked, confused._

"_I know this sounds weird, but I need you to follow us on our date." I said, and Damon raised an eyebrow._

"_And why would I want to do that?" he asked, like I was crazy._

"_Because my date might be one of the evil vamps trying to kill us." I explained, and both of Damon's eyebrows shot up._

"_Then why are you going on a date with him?" he asked._

"_Because I could be wrong.__ But if I'm not, it's a chance to kill off one of the tomb vamps." I explained_

_Damon closed his eyes for a few seconds while he was thinking. Then he nodded slowly, and opened his eyes, looking as if he already regretted saying yes._

_I beamed at him. "Thanks, Damon." I said, before kissing him quickly on the cheek and walking out of the house._

_Damon's eyes followed me out of the house. It didn't occur to me then, the amount of control I held over him, even after we became "Just friends." It was enough control to get him to agree to follow me on my first date after he broke my heart. That, along with chance that he might be able to kill my date, though Damon didn't tell anyone that._

_It was sad really, how obvious it was that we weren't over each other. Obvious to everybody but each other._

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: missxsunshine, AubreySalvatore, SomebodyWhoCares, jacquline, vdemily, Angelfang, and colleenrawr for reviewing!

Reviews make me feel loved :D

~Abby!


	31. the interrogation

**Chapter thirty**

**The interrogation **

*Hailey*

Damon heaved Nathan over his shoulder, and started to walk over to Elena's car. I frowned at him. "Aren't you going to kill him?" I asked, following him.

"Trust me, I'd like nothing better than to shove a stake into your boy toy's heart, but I figured you and the other Power Rangers would like to try and get some answers out of him first." Damon said, and my frown increased.

"He's not-" then I realized why Damon was saying this. He was _jealous._

I wasn't stupid enough to believe that this meant that he had romantic feelings for me, only that he was a little possessive over me. Damon slept with me first, and now he's jealous that some other guy might've. Still, it'd be fun to mess with his head.

"He's not what?" Damon asked, turning around to face me.

"I was going to say 'not my boy toy,' but then I remembered today after Gym, so I had to stop myself." I said, smiling innocently up at him.

When I saw Damon's expression I wish I had a camera. I had to bite my lip hard to stop from laughing. His gorgeous eyes turned to ice, and I could practically see steam coming from his ears. But then as soon as it'd begun, it was over, and Damon had on the mask of indifference that he wore every day.

He turned away, and threw Nathan into the backseat of Elena's car, slamming him much harder than necessary against the seat. I had to cover my mouth to hide my smirk.

_**~LMF~**_

We reached the boarding house ten minutes later. Damon didn't talk to me the whole ride, but that was okay, because I was too busy trying to hide my laughter. Damon walked ahead of me, Nathan's unconscious body thrown carelessly over his shoulder. I noticed that Damon didn't try to prevent his head slamming into the door.

Elena and Stefan were talking on the couch, which stopped as soon as they saw Damon, Nathan and I enter the house.

"What the-?" Elena asked, looking from me to Nathan to Damon. I smiled wryly at her.

"Long story short, I sensed that Nathan was a vamp when he asked me out this morning. I asked Damon to follow us on the date, so that Nathan wouldn't kill me. Now we're going to try and get some answers out of him." I told both of them.

Damon tossed Nathan on the couch, and ran out of the room, only appearing seconds later with a chair, a tarp, a stake, some weird plants, and bucket full of what seemed like water.

"If you thought he was a vampire, then why'd you agree to go on the date with him?' Elena asked, eyes widening at my story.

"Two reasons: one, I could've been wrong. Two, if I wasn't, we have a chance to kill a tomb vamp." I explained, as Damon disappeared for a second time, and returned with rope.

"Are you sure this is safe, Hailey?" Elena asked me "What if he gets away?"

"Even if that did happen, he wouldn't stand a chance." Damon said, draping the tarp in the center of the room, and then setting the chair in the middle of it. "He's only been a vamp for 10 years- at the most. Stefan could take him on and win easily. Besides, he's so hopped up on vervain; you could probably take him on and win, Elena."

Elena rolled her eyes at Damon, while I hid a laugh with a cough. I perched on the arm of a couch as I watched Damon drag Nathan onto the chair.

"Why do you have a bucket of water?" I asked, as Damon soaked the ropes in it before tying Nathan to the chair. I watched in horror as the ropes burned his skin.

"Vervain is in it." he explained. "It's also what the plant is."

I nodded, as Elena and Stefan walked up next to me, as Damon took a stake and shoved it into Nathan's stomach. I flinched as Nathan let out a groan of pain and woke up.

"Morning, sunshine." Damon said sarcastically.

Nathan glared at him. "I'm not going to tell you anything. Either way, you're gonna kill Me." he hissed.

I jumped off the couch and went to stand next to Damon. "Well, yeah. That's a given. But you should be less worried about dying, and more worried about what happens beforeyou die." I said with a smirk.

Nathan's glare faltered, before it turned into a mask of determination. "I'm not scared of any of you." he said_._

"Well, that's _very _stupid of you." Damon said, before taking the bucket and pouring some of the water on him.

Nathan's screams echoed throughout the house, as I closed my eyes against the sight of his burned and bubbly skin. I heard Elena gasp, and heard Stefan pull her away from the disgusting sight. Damon did nothing.

"This isn't the first time you've tortured vampires, is it?' I asked him.

He gave me a smirk. "Would it surprise you if I said no?"

"Not even the slightest." I answered, before turning my attention back to Nathan.

"Who are you planning to kill?" I asked him.

"Go to hell." he hissed.

I smiled at him. "I already do. It's called 'high school.'" I said, and then repeated my question.

"I don't know." he tried, but I saw through his lie easily.

"Liar." Damon said, seeing it too. Then he raised the bloody stake.

"Wait, I want to try something." I told him. He paused, and watched me curiously.

I raised my hand, and focused on his arm. Then with a sharp twist, his arm bended at a dangerous angle. He shrieked with pain. I dropped my hand, and his arm started to heal.

"And you know what's great?" I asked in a sugary-sweet voice. "You're gonna keep healing, so I'm just gonna have to keep breaking your arm again, and again, and again." as if to prove my point, I twisted my hand again, and his arm broke.

"When you'd learn to do that?" Damon asked me.

"A few seconds ago. I had an idea, so I tested it." I said, giving him a half smile.

I pushed my hair back, and then turned to walk to the kitchen. "Don't kill him without me." I called over my shoulder.

I walked to liquor cabinet, and pulled out a bottle of whiskey, and opened it. Taking a long swig, and walked back, and sat down on the couch arm next to Elena.

"This is completely disturbing." she told me, as I started rubbing my temples, a small headache forming.

'Maybe, but it's kind of fun." I said, giving her a wry smile as she took the bottle from me, and took a long sip.

"You are so disturbed." she told me, and I smirked at her.

"Never said I wasn't."

My headache was increasing as I watched Damon and Stefan interrogate Nathan. Every now and then, I'd break an arm of a leg, sometimes his neck or spine. But it didn't help, he wasn't telling us anything. Suddenly, the headache became so intense, that I was clutching my head, my eyes closed. Then Elena said something that should've been obvious half an hour ago.

"Hailey, are you having a vision?"

I mentally cursed myself, before I nodded. "I'll be right back." I said, forcing my eyes open, and walking up the stairs quickly.

I didn't know where my feet were leading me to, until I opened the door to a familiar room. I sat down on Damon's bed, and curled up in a ball, as the vision hit me hard. I let out a gasp of pain, and then it all melted away to reveal a small kitchen.

_Three people were arguing at a small table, a piece of paper in front of them. They were Nicolai, Candace, and Markus._

"…_I told you she was too smart to fall for that horrible excuse for a vampire!" __Nicolai said proudly, and Candace glared at him._

"_I wouldn't be too sure, Nico. She looks like the type of girl who'll fall easily for a pretty face. Look at her and Damon Salvatore! I've watched just one of their conversations, and I know she'd bend over backwards for him!" she argued__._

_Nikolai's face turned hard when she mentioned Damon, but he didn't say anything._

"_If Nathan's not back soon, we'll send people to check on him." Markus agreed. "I'm truly getting tired of dealing with Hailey Ellis and the Salvatore brothers. Not to mention Elena Gilbert. She's connected with all three of them, and she's also becoming a nuisance."_

"_Which is why I'm saying we should just kill her druggie brother Jeremy. It would be much easier." Candace said._

"_No! __She __was specific that we kill four people: Hailey, Elena, and both of the Salvatores." Markus insisted._

_Suddenly, Nicolai pulled the list of names closer to him, revealing them._

_Carly Fell X_

_Avery Forbes X_

_Matthew Lockwood_

_Hailey Ellis_

_Elena Gilbert _

_Stefan Salvatore_

_Damon Salvatore_

Suddenly, I opened my eyes to look up at Damon's anxious face.

"Are you okay?" he asked, as I pushed myself off his bed.

I nodded, and smiled at him, before practically running down the stairs to where Stefan and Elena were dealing with Nathan. Damon hurried to keep up with me. I stopped in front of Nathan, who looked seriously beat up.

"Who's in charge of the tomb vamps?" I asked without a preamble, raising my hand threateningly.

Nathan flinched. "Candace, Nikolai, and Marcus, though Marcus is the main leader." he mumbled, not taking his eyes off my hand.

"I know that." I said annoyed. "Who's in charge of them?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nathan mumbled, not looking at me.

"Tsk, tsk, I thought you learned not to lie to me." I said, before twisting my hand, and I vaguely saw his spine twist into a pretzel.

Nathan screamed before shouted, "Alright! Alright!"

I dropped my hand, and Nathan started panting, leaning back in the chair. "Hailey, what are you doing?" Elena asked me. I turned to see her, Damon, and Stefan watching me warily.

"It's part of the vision. I'll tell you after." I told them, before turning back to Nathan.

"What do you know?" I asked coldly.

"Not much, only that it's a chick. She's pretty hot and that only Markus has met her." he said quickly.

I nodded absentmindedly, before my mind turned to the list of names. "Who the hell is Matthew Lockwood?" I asked no one in particular, knowing everyone on that lost except for him.

"Tyler's cousin. He's a couple years ahead of us, and he goes to college at NYU. You beat him up in 9th grade, because he grabbed your ass." Elena said.

"Oh yeah…" I said, remembering.

"You're going kill him next, aren't you?" I asked Nathan.

He nodded. "He came home for the other two's funerals. We're working on killing him, but he's been hard to track down."

I sighed, and nodded. "Okay, I hope you enjoy hell." then I waved my hand at the wooden stake on the couch's arm, and it plunged itself into Nathan's heart.

With a nasty gurgling sound, he turned an unhealthy gray. Ignoring my friends' stares, I walked into the kitchen, and started going through drawers until I found a pad of paper and a pen.

I scribbled down all the names, and crossed off Ava's, and Carly's, just like the tomb vamp's lists. Then I returned to my confused friends.

"Here." I said, thrusting the list into Elena's hands, before plopping down on the couch, and draining the rest of the whiskey.

"These are their victims?" Stefan asked, and I saw that his eyes rested on Elena's name.

I nodded, and then I told them about my vision. "I don't know which is worse, that they're watching us, or that there's another boss person." Damon said, sitting down next to me.

I didn't say anything about what Candace said, about me willing to bend over backwards for Damon. Though I did mention the creepy thought that they were watching us.

"I think they're both bad, though the new boss complicates a lot of things." I said, and then added, "Nathan didn't give us a lot of information, mostly stuff we already knew. I think that my vision gave us more info then he did."

"He obviously wasn't very high in their ranks. Probably near the bottom; someone that they could lose without really losing." Damon said.

"I don't know whether to be relieved or insulted." I said, before running a hand through my hair.

_**~LMF~**_

I was drunk, though I think having your date almost kill you is a good enough reason. I was currently nursing a bottle of bourbon on a couch. The spot where Nathan was being tortured a few hours earlier was cleaned up, like it never happened. Stefan and Damon went to take care of the body, while Elena went home. I was waiting for Damon, drinking my bourbon like it was water.

"Hailey, what are you doing here? I thought you went home with Elena."

I sat up, and beamed at Damon. "I-I wanna talk to ya, Dahmon." I slurred, getting up with my bottle.

"You're drunk, aren't you?" he sighed, sitting down. To his surprise, I sat down in his lap.

"Just a little bit." I said, making the sign with my fingers. Then I swung an arm around Damon's neck, and made myself comfortable in his lap.

"Hailey, what are you doing?" Damon asked, his eyes wide.

"Wanna know a secret, Dahmon?" I asked him, draining the rest of my bottle.

"No, I don't think I do." He said warily.

I continued on like he didn't answer. "I reallah liked you, Dahmon. I was even-" I leaned into his ear to whisper loudly, "Falling in love with ya."

Damon stiffened, but I didn't notice. "But den Lena told me dat ya loved Katherine, and ya broke meh heart." I sighed loudly, but then grinned widely at him.

"Is okay doh, cause I forgive ya!" I cheered, throwing my arms around his neck.

Damon was stiff as I hugged him. And when I leaned in and kissed him sloppily, he pulled away. "Hailey, what are you doing?" he asked quietly, and I frowned at him.

"Kissing you, Dahmon. And den we're going to have sex," I grinned, throwing a leg over Damon's lap, and then kissing him again.

"Hailey, stop it." Damon pulled away, and I frowned again.

"Why? Don't you wanna?" I asked quietly, the rejection hurting me even when I was drunk.

"You're wasted Hailey, okay? Remember, we're just friends." He reminded me, gently pushing me off of his lap.

"But I don't wanna be friends, Dahmon." I grinned, trying to kiss him again.

Damon just shook his head. "When you sober up tomorrow, and remember this, you're going to regret it, okay? I've done a lot of bad things, Hailey, but I'm not going to sleep with you while you're drunk."

"But I want you to!" I exclaimed, my eyebrows furrowed.

Damon just ignored me, and sat up. He grabbed my wrist, and dragged me towards the door. "I'm taking you to Elena's okay?" he told me.

"Why, Damon? Is it because you don't care about me?" I whispered, my eyes stinging with drunken tears.

"Hailey, if I didn't care about you, you'd be up in my bed right now. And just so you know, it's taking all my self-control to do this." He admitted, before pulling me outside to his car.

I didn't answer, not being able to understand his words, wasted. It was because Damon cared about me, that he didn't want to ruin us anymore than he already had, that he was taking me to Elena's.

"Wanna know another secret, Dahmon?" I whispered, as he put me in the passenger side of the car.

"No, not even a little bit, Hailey." He said, starting the car.

I ignored him. "I'm not over ya."

Those words caused the silent drive to Elena's house, but I fell asleep a few minutes later.

_**~LMF~**_

"Here, I think you left this at my house."

"Hi Lena!" I slurred cheerfully, despite just waking up.

Elena rubbed her eyes, frowning at Damon. "Did you get her drunk?" she asked, before pulling me into her house.

"She was like that when I found her." He said easily, walking back to his car.

"Bye Dahmon!" I called after him, waving.

"Bye Hailey." He said softly, surprising Elena.

Elena shut the door, and then sighed at me. "I'll lecture you tomorrow, okay? I'm too tired." She told me, before helping me up the stairs to her room. I got into the other side of Elena's bed, and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

_I stood in an underground tunnel. There was a torch lit on a wall, and I could barely see the figures of two women a few yards in front of me._

_I walked up to them, to recognize Victoria and Katherine. Victoria was holding that weird jewelry box again, and Katherine was setting up candles so that they could see. As soon as she was done, Victoria took a deep breath and they all simultaneously lit on fire._

_Victoria looked smugly up at Katherine, and she laughed. "You are getting good at your powers, aren't you?" she asked, and Victoria nodded._

_Then she focused on the ground in front of them, and suddenly dirt began flying out, and making a neat pile next to them. Soon, a deep hole was formed._

_Victoria set the box carefully in the hole, then waved her hand carelessly at the pile of dirt. I watched__,__ amazed as the dirt filled up the hole again, and it looked like there had never been one to begin with._

"_Good. I glad to finally be done with this whole business." Katherine said, and she and Victoria began to walk out of the tunnel._

"_Wait. Before we leave, I want to do something that's long overdue." Katherine said, before her face changed into the one I'd seen on Damon's face countless times._

_Then she grabbed Victoria by the neck, and bit her._

_Victoria laughed as her friend drank her blood, when I suddenly felt a sharp pain on the side of my neck. It was like Katherine was biting me too. _

_I let out a gasp of pain, as I heard someone shout at me, "HAILEY!"_

I gasped again, and clutched my neck, stumbling. I looked up to see Stefan and Elena staring at me, bewildered.

"I-I was sleep walking again, wasn't I?" I mumbled. Elena nodded slowly, just as Stefan's eyes widened, and he froze.

"What?" I asked him, but I knew what. I could feel something moist on my neck.

I touched it, and then looked at my hand to see the crimson color of my blood.

I let out a small groan, before falling to the floor.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **just so you guys know, we're about halfway through the story. I think I have this story ending at about 63 or 64 chapters, plus an epilogue. But that may change, if I hate a chapter I wrote or I get an inspiration for a chapter, or whatever.

thank you to: Chella8181, jacquline, DayDreamBabyBee, SomebodyWhoCares, and aireagle92 for reviewing!

Reviews inspire updates ;)

~Abby :D


	32. the Ellis manor

**Chapter thirty one**

**The Ellis manor**

*Hailey*

I woke up on Elena's couch, my head and neck aching. I moaned slightly, what the hell did I do last night? I got off the couch, my hangover making my head pound. I could only remember bits and pieces of last night. Nathan turned out to be a vampire, and then I killed him. I got wasted, somehow ended up at Elena's, and then had another flashback about Victoria.

I found Elena, Stefan, and Damon talking in the kitchen. They were talking in low voices, as I walked to the kitchen counter and poured myself a large cup of coffee. They stopped talking as I jumped up onto the counter and began to drink the warm coffee.

"What the hell happened last night?" I groaned, touching my neck. There was bandage covering my neck, and my eyes widened. Did I get bitten last night?

"What do you remember?" Elena asked, as I sipped my hot coffee.

"After killing Nathan? Not much. I got drunk obviously, and then Damon, I think, brought me over here. Then I had another flashback of Victoria, and then I got bitten." I said, thinking about the flashback. My eyes widened when I finally figured it out- when Katherine bit Victoria, it was like she bit me too.

There was silence, until I finally said, "I know you guys were talking about my little episode last night. Don't worry about." I jumped off the counter, and ran a hand through my wild hair.

"It's not a little episode, Hailey." Elena said. "This is the second time you've had one in the last week, and during it, you got a vampire bite out of nowhere. It just appeared on your neck, I saw it happen."

"You were also sleepwalking again, where you could've easily gotten attacked by one of the tomb vampires." Stefan added.

"What was the flashback even about?" Damon asked, avoiding my gaze. My eyebrows furrowed- did I say something to him in all my drunken glory?

"Victoria and Katherine were burying that damn box." I said. "And apparently, Victoria has more powers than just telekinesis and visions. She can control the elements. It was pretty cool, actually."

"How'd you get the bite?" Elena asked.

"Oh, that's simple. Katherine bit Victoria." I said casually, finishing my coffee.

"Katherine what?" Stefan asked, eyebrow raised. Everyone chose to ignore how awkward it got when Katherine was mentioned.

"Yeah, she was apparently feeding off Victoria back then, probably because of how good her blood smelled. Didn't you say my blood was the best blood you've ever smelled?" I asked Damon.

He nodded, and continued to avoid looking me in the eyes. My stomach dropped; I did say something to him when I was drunk. Oh shit.

"Am I the only one who's worried by the fact that when Victoria was bitten in a flashback you experienced, it happened to you?"

"Yep." I said, but Stefan and Damon's looks begged to differ.

"No, that's definitely a problem." Damon said.

"Why? Why is it such a big deal that I have memories of Victoria? We're connected, there's no doubting that, so of course I'm going to experience some of him memories. Nothing to make such a big deal out of." I argued.

"It's a big deal, Hailey, because this is the same Victoria who went insane, murdered two people, and then killed herself. And now you're experiencing some of her memories. I don't know what it means, but it's definitely not good." Damon said, finally looking at me.

"And now you're sleepwalking to god knows where." Elena said.

"Oh, I know where I'm sleepwalking." I said, standing up to put my empty mug in the sink. "I know why too."

"Why?" Damon, Stefan, and Elena all asked at the same time.

"I'm sleep walking to the old Ellis manor, to get that stupid box with the pretty knife Victoria and Katherine buried more than a century ago." I said. "And I also know what we're doing today."

"Do I even want to ask?" Elena asked.

I smirked at her. "We're going to dig that damn thing up."

_**~LMF~**_

Surprisingly, no one argued. I knew it was because they hoped my strange dreams would stop, and I'd stop sleepwalking in the middle of the night, because I hoped it too. I took a quick shower, got dressed, and took some Advil to help with my headache. Soon, we were off to the old Ellis Manor.

We got there in fifteen minutes, and when I walked into the yard where my ancestors used to live, a small part of me wondered why someone would let such a pretty house go. It was in ruins, only half of it left. It really should've been torn down years ago, but I realized soon why it wasn't. It had become part of the woods that practically consumed this town. You could barely tell where it ended and the house began. Then I realized that our job just got much harder. It was going to be a real pain trying to get through the forest, and I was suddenly glad I wore converse instead of my usual black leather boots.

"We should split up." Stefan said, taking shovels out of the trunk.

We all agreed, and somehow Elena and Stefan went one way, and Damon and I went the other. I knew why, though. Elena couldn't stand him, and if Stefan and Damon were left alone longer than five minutes, someone's throat was gonna be ripped out. I didn't mind though. I never minded being alone with Damon. Even though I had said something to him when I was drunk, and I didn't even want to know what.

It was silent as we walked. An awkward silence too, and I hated it. I just wanted us to be friends, I wanted him in my life. And since we didn't work out romantically, we had to be friends. And now my stupid drunk mouth ruined it.

"Look, whatever said to you last night, I was wasted. I don't even want to know what I said, but I didn't mean it." I blurted out, waving my hand to bend branches back as we walked.

"You didn't mean it?" Damon repeated skeptically.

"I didn't. Can we just stop with all this awkwardness now?" I pleaded, looking up at him.

"Course," Damon said, smirking easily at me. I pretended not to notice that it didn't reach his eyes.

I was glad that we had that settled, but that awkwardness didn't leave. It hadn't left since the moment we agreed to be just friends. And it would probably never leave.

We continued to walk in silence, but it was less awkward than before. I noticed that Damon looked deep in thought, like he had something to say, he just didn't know how.

"Spit it out." I said with an easygoing smirk.

I felt his gaze on me as we walked, before he finally spoke. "I don't get you, Hailey."

"Don't feel too bad about that, nobody does. I barely do." I said, but raised my eyebrows at his serious expression, that was so rarely on his face.

"I distinctly remember you freaking out a few weeks ago about looking like a crazy girl who murdered her family, and then herself. Now you have flashbacks of her memories, and you couldn't care less." Damon said.

_Yeah, well, a lot of things have changed since a couple of weeks ago, _I wanted to snap, but I had enough self-control not to. Instead I shrugged.

"I just don't see it as a big deal, I guess. I actually think they're kind of helpful." I admitted, stepping under a long branch.

"Helpful? How?" he asked.

"Well, the newest one showed me that my powers aren't limited. Victoria could control the elements, who know what else she could do- what I can do? I've been thinking that maybe I should try to expand them a little bit. It could be helpful." I shrugged, thinking about the possibilities.

I expected Damon to agree with me, to say that it sounded smart. But his reaction was the opposite. He snorted, and said, "That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard."

I felt like he slapped me across the face.

"Tell me how you really feel, Damon." I muttered, my cheeks burning.

His expression softened instantly. "Hailey, I just meant that I don't think that it's a very good idea."

"Why not?" I argued, glaring up at him.

"Well, for one, you're following in the steps of a nutcase. But you're right, what could go wrong?" he said sarcastically.

"I'm not Victoria!" I practically shouted. "I'm not gonna go crazy and kill myself like she did!"

"How do you think Victoria went crazy?" he retorted.

I paused. "You don't know that." I whispered.

"Well, it's obvious. Victoria went digging into her powers like you want to, and they drove her insane." he said easily, looking up at the bright blue sky.

I considered his words, not wanting to believe them. "Well, I guess I have to take the risk." I shrugged, looking away.

Damon looked at me like he couldn't believe me, and we walked in silence again. I wanted so much for his approval at that moment, for him to understand my plan, to be okay with it. When I realized what I wanted, and I mentally slapped myself.

Why did I need Damon's approval? So what if he thought it was shitty idea. Since when did I need anyone's approval to be able to do something? This thought only made my plans to expand my powers more final. If anything, just to spite Damon, and to prove to myself that reckless, couldn't-care-less-about-what-anyone-thinks Hailey is still inside me somewhere.

We reached the house, and then Damon finally looked at me. "Do you know where the entrance to the tunnel is?" he asked.

I nodded slowly. "It's under the house." I said, then it suddenly dawned on me how hard this job was becoming.

We both looked at the ruins of the house. Two sides of the house was gone, revealing the four floors that were caved in. the remains of the roof were already sagging into the house and looked like it could collapse at any minute. It was a freaking death trap, that manor.

"I'll go." Damon said, walking towards the house.

"What? No fair!" I shouted, my eyebrows furrowing.

"I'm indestructible, Hailey. If the house collapses on me, unless a piece of wood somehow manages to get itself into my heart, I'll be fine. If the house collapses on you, you'll die." he argued.

I sigh, I knew he had a point, but I _needed _to go. "Please." I begged. "If the roof starts to collapse, I can hold it up long enough for us to get out." I said, though I had no proof that I could actually do this.

Damon looked at me skeptically. "You don't know that." he said.

"I'll try!" I exclaimed. "I don't know why, but I need to get this mysterious box with you. _Please_."

Damon looks at me for a few more seconds before sighing. "At the first sign of trouble, I'll throw you over my shoulder and drag you out of the house if I have to." he said, looking like he already regretted saying yes.

I gave him a wry grin. "Since you're about 10,000 times stronger than me, I don't really have a choice." I said dryly. He rolled his eyes at me, then we set out to go into the house.

A few minutes later, we stood in front of the "entrance" of the house. The moldy and termite eaten door was still there, but a large branch about the size of two Damon's blocked it.

Damon easily flung the branch out of the way, then gestured for me to go first. I climbed through the small entry way the door offered, to enter the Ellis manor. It reeked of mold and rotten things. My nose wrinkled at the smell as Damon climbed into the house too.

"Do you have any idea where the basement is?" I ask him.

"Actually I do." he said, already walking towards the back of the house. I followed him, and the floor creaked with each footstep.

"I've been here before, a few times." he explained, as we walked through more rooms. Trash littered all the rooms, and the stench got worse and worse the farther we got into the house.

Suddenly, we stopped in front of an entry way that obviously used to have a door. Wooden stairs that looked about as stable as Victoria stood behind it.

"Come here." Damon said abruptly, grabbing me by my wrist.

I looked up at him, bewildered, as he wrapped an arm around my waist.

Suddenly, we're moving so fast I barely blink and we're suddenly in the basement, watching the wooden stairs crumble.

I inhale a deep breath of contaminated air, wondering how we're going got get back up. But we would cross that bridge when we came to it. I followed Damon as the sunlight disappeared and we were suddenly in the dark. I opened my mouth to ask how we were going to see when he suddenly clamped a hand over my mouth.

"Shh, I hear something." he whispered, and he pulled me behind a stack of moldy boxes.

I held my breath, as Damon listened intently. Soon I heard it too, the sound of footsteps. Did they belong to tomb vamps? I suddenly heard a soft scream and then a loud thud as the intruders landed into the basement. I automatically grabbed Damon's arm, and feel him tense, ready to fight if necessary.

"Shh, Elena, someone's here." I heard a familiar voice say abruptly. I sighed with relief, as Damon relaxed.

"Thank god, it's just you two." I said, as I stepped out from behind the boxes. I saw Stefan and Elena both relax at the sight of Damon and me.

"Where's the secret passage way?" I asked Damon, as Stefan and Elena walked up to us.

"I don't know." he says, his eyed scanning the darkness ahead of us.

"Wait." Stefan said abruptly. "I think I know."

He walked into the darkness and a few seconds later, I heard the sound of rusty metal. Then Stefan reappeared.

"Come on." he told us, and we followed him.

Elena pulled out her cell phone for very dim light, but it's enough to see a square hole in the middle of the floor. Damon jumped down, and I edged toward the hole, nervous to jump.

"Just do it, Hailey. I'll catch you." Damon called up to me. I took a deep breath, before jumping.

I was falling for a few seconds until I felt Damon's arms wrap around me, catching me. He set me down, as Stefan jumped down. I looked around the dark tunnel, as Elena joined us. Stefan took a flashlight out of his pocket, and the tunnel was suddenly illuminated with light.

It looked just like it did from my vision, except older and dirtier. But I knew where to go. I walked down the tunnel, everyone else following me. I didn't stop until the very end. I could almost feel the energy radiate as I stepped on the very place Victoria buried the knife.

"It's right here." I said, turning to look at them.

Damon and Stefan walked foreword with shovels in their hands. I stepped away, against a wall with Elena. I watched them shovel fast, when something suddenly caused me to double over in pain. There was a sharp stab of pain in my stomach, and I cried out in pain.

"Hailey!" I heard Elena exclaim, before rushing to my side.

But I didn't see her. I was still in the tunnel, but instead, I was watching a girl with jet black hair and neon green eyes, dressed in old fashioned clothing. She was holding a familiar knife over her stomach.

"It's for the best." she murmured to herself, before stabbing herself.

I gasp in unison with her, as blood suddenly started bleeding from my stomach, like someone was stabbing me with an invisible knife. Victoria stabbed herself again, and I felt it, I felt every single stab as I just stood there, watching her kill herself, kill me.

"Hailey!" I hear someone sob as I'm brought back into the real world.

All I see is a flash of ice blue eyes before familiar copper blood is forced into my mouth. I gulped it down automatically, before passing out in strong, familiar, leather covered arms.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: Pinkbeca, Samantha meyers, colleenrawr, AubreySalvatore, KimmyWSmith, aireagle92, jacquline, Carrie9596 and SomebodyWhoCares for reviewing!

Reviews are inspiring :)

~Abby!


	33. the right to care

**Chapter thirty two**

**The right to care**

*Damon*

Damon quickly started to dig a hole at the spot Hailey pointed out. Stefan joined him, and soon, a deep hole was starting form. He was glad to be getting this over as fast as possible; the sooner they got over the whole Victoria situation, the better.

Elena and Hailey stood at a wall a few feet away from them, watching them. He watched the green-eyed girl out of the corner of his eye. She looked lost in thought. The sight of her made him think about their argument half an hour earlier. She wanted to "expand" her powers, and the thought terrified him.

He didn't know what Victoria did to go crazy; if she was just born that way, or if her powers drove her that way. But he knew two things; one, when Victoria was 15, and he was 19, she wasn't crazy, she was just a pretty girl with unique eyes who aimed to be a future homemaker of America like every other girl in his town. She wasn't crazy, not then.

The second thing he knew was power. He knew that too much of it could be dangerous, though that didn't stop people from going after it. That's why he figured that Victoria went insane "expanding" her powers like Hailey wanted to. She dove too deep into her abilities, and all that power drove her insane.

He remembered a few weeks ago, when Hailey was crying in his bed because she was afraid that she would go crazy like Victoria. He had promised her that he wouldn't let her go crazy, and he had the intention to keep that promise. He wouldn't let her end up like Victoria, no matter what he had to do to stop it. Because deep down, he knew that history might be repeating itself. Hailey was on Victoria's exact same path, one that didn't end pleasantly.

The thought of Hailey dying made him feel sick to his stomach, made him feel like his world was ending, like the thought always did. He cared almost too much whether Hailey lived or died. But the thing was, he lost that right.

He knew it too. He lost the right to care about Hailey in general when he broke her heart. But that didn't stop him. They were "friends" now, and friends cared about each other. Though he knew in his subconscious that the way he cared about Hailey was complete opposite of how friends cared for each other. As if God had read Damon's mind, and decided to toy with him. A mouthwatering and unfortunately familiar smell hit the air.

Damon froze, and so did Stefan, as they both reveled in the scent. It took Damon half a second to realize what was happening, as he tried to clear his head of the fog the smell of the most appetizing blood caused him. Then two things happened at once.

"Hailey!" Elena shrieked, as she ran over to where Hailey was doubled over, covering the stab wound in her stomach.

But Hailey wasn't there, at least not mentally. She fell to the ground, and her blank green eyes stared up. You would have thought she was dead if it wasn't for her deep, ragged breathing. Suddenly, her body started convulsing as if she was being stabbed. Blood started pouring out of the stab wounds in her stomach. But despite this, Hailey gave no sign she even felt them.

"Victoria." Damon said, breaking out of the spell the horrifying scene in front of him put him in. "She's reliving Victoria's death."

Damon had no idea how to snap her out of it, but even if he did, it was too late. Her wounds were too bad and she was losing blood by the second. There was only one thing he could do to save her.

Without really even thinking, Damon appeared next to Hailey and pulled her to him. Then he bit his wrist and put it to her mouth in one motion. The vampire blood flowed down Hailey's throat and almost instantly started healing her wounds. Elena gave a stifled sob of relief, as Hailey's eyes barely flickered as she came back from her flashback. Damon held her gaze for what seemed like hours but was really seconds. Then Hailey passed out.

*Hailey*

I felt like a mummy.

I was wrapped up tight in my blanket, I could barely move. My eyes flickered around my room where the afternoon sunlight was lighting everything up. I managed to unravel myself from my blankets, and stood up. It felt like I had jelly legs, and I leaned against my bed for support. Yesterday's memories filtered into my mind, and I could almost feel the invisible knife in my stomach again. But then it went away. I sighed, and closed my eyes. I felt gross; covered in dirt, dust and dry blood. I needed a shower badly.

I walked to the bathroom, as I felt like I was forgetting something. It was really bothering me; it was the feeling like you knew something, but couldn't think of it, like it was on the tip of your tongue. It felt really important too. I took a long shower, just leaning against the shower wall as the hot water poured down on me. Showers were an amazing place to think.

Suddenly, it hit me. I gasped, and smacked my head on the wall. I rubbed the spot while a big grin overcame my face. I finally remembered it. It wasn't even really a vision, just a disembodied voice in my head saying _"To expand your powers, you must look back into your bloodline. Your bloodline is the key, she is the key."_ I knew what it meant, what the "key" was, And I felt stupid for not thinking of it before.

The key was Victoria.

I got out of the shower, and walked to my closet, with just a towel wrapped around me. had just put on my bra and underwear, when a voice from behind me made me jump.

"You know, you wouldn't make a bad stripper."

I let out a small shriek band grabbed my towel to cover my half-naked body. Damon chuckled and smirked, from where he was lying casually on my bed.

"I like the bra too." he added, looking at my lacy red bra that so thankfully blocked my boobs from his eyes. "How come I never got to see it?"

"Damon! why couldn't you have let me know you were here before I got naked?" I asked him, annoyed, as I pulled on my shorts.

"Where's the fun in that?" he asked, his stupid smirk super-glued onto his face.

"You don't get to see me naked anymore, Damon!" I exclaimed.

"Please, Hailey, I wasn't even looking. Besides, I've seen it all before." he said, and I flicked my hand at a pillow to make it smack him.

I finished getting dressed, then sat cross-legged on my bed facing Damon. "How are you feeling?" he asked me, concerned.

"A little sore in my stomach, but I did get stabbed 19 times so it's expected." I said, braiding my hair.

"Speaking of our misadventure yesterday, I brought something I thought would cheer you up a bit." he said, then pulled a familiar jeweled box out of his jacket.

"You got it?" I asked, shocked that he managed to snag it while I was choking on my own blood.

"'Course I did." he said, "I didn't want your almost-death to be in vain."

I opened the box, and was immediately filled with the same feeling I got when I looked at the knife in my first flashback. But it was multiplied a hundred times. It was a feeling of attraction, obsession, and power wrapped up in one. But at the same time I was _afraid _of the knife.

"Can you feel it?" I whispered, my eyes not leaving the knife.

"Feel what?" Damon asked, looking from me and the dagger.

"The… power. You honestly can't sense it?" I asked him, breaking my gaze with the knife to look up at him.

Damon shrugged, before lying back down on my bed. "Must be a crazy psychic girl thing." he said.

I smiled slightly, before saying, "I don't think I'm psychic Damon."

He raised his eyebrows. "Why? You lost your powers? honestly, that would suck because you're kind of important if we ever want to win this cold war against the tomb vamps."

I shook my head, and my braid whipped against my back. "No, I have my powers. But, I don't think I'm psychic. I've been calling myself that because of my visions, but there's obviously more to my powers than just visions. I don 't think that I'm psychic."

"Then what are you?" he asked.

"I don't know. I'm not a witch, I know that for sure, because then I'd be casting spells like no tomorrow." I said, looking back down at the knife.

Damon smirked. "'with great power comes great responsibility.'" he quoted from Star Wars, and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Damon, name one time in your life-human or vampire- when you've ever been responsible." I asked, while thinking of a time that I've ever been responsible. I couldn't think of any.

"Hey, I'm not the one with the badass super powers. I don't have to be responsible. But why does it matter what your title is? You have the powers, that's really all that matters." Damon said.

I nodded, knowing he was right, then I stretched out at the foot of the bed. Everything was quiet for a few minutes, as I stared at the knife. I noticed that there was some dried blood on it. Victoria's blood.

"I know one good thing that's come out of this." Damon said, shifting his weight so that we were face to face, The knife between us.

"What's that?" I asked absentmindedly.

"We don't have to worry about you wanting to expand your powers anymore." He said cheerfully.

I raised an eyebrow. "Who said anything about that?" I asked.

Damon looked surprised. "You're not really telling me that you're still planning to dig deeper into the whole Victoria mess when you almost _died _from a flashback?"

"Actually, I am. And I have a game plan too." I said stubbornly.

Damon sighed exasperatedly and closed his eye before gesturing me to continue.

"Victoria. Victoria's the key to expanding my powers." I said proudly, with a grin on my face.

"Oh, well, now that Victoria's involved in your plan, I see no way it could go wrong. It's not like she hasn't almost killed you in the past or anything." he said sarcastically.

I frowned at him. "What's the big deal? This could actually _help _us." I argued, sitting up.

Damon sat up too. "I've told you before, Hailey. It's too dangerous. And the fact that you can even _consider _doingit is shocking."

"And I told _you _before, Damon. I'm willing to take the risk." I argued.

"Well, I'm not." he said, standing up.

I stood up too, and crossed my arms over my chest. He was a lot taller than me, but I could still see his icy blue eyes glaring down at me. I returned the glare.

"It's not your decision to make, Damon." I said defiantly.

"If you actually think I'm just going to sit around and watch you kill yourself, you're in for the surprise of a lifetime." he said.

"I'm not killing myself, Damon! I'm not going to go crazy! I'm not Victoria!" I shouted.

"_Then stop acting like it!"_

His tone and his words both made me freeze with shock. Damon used my silence to his advantage.

"You keep saying that you're not Victoria, that you're not going to go insane like her, but do you even realize that Victoria used to be like you before she got her powers? She was a normal teenage girl. Her powers drove her like that, Hailey. you're going to let them do the same to you, but I'm not going to watch you let that happen." he said, looking down at me with miserable eyes, like I was already on my deathbed. My temper flared.

"What gives you the right, Damon? You don't _get _to care whether I live or die! You don't. And you really don't get to try and stop me from expanding my powers if it could save us all." I said with cold fury in my voice. I turned my back to him.

"Do you know what's really depressing?" Damon asked in a whisper, like my words physically knocked the breath out of him. "You know it too. You know deep down that the path you're on right now will end in your death. But you're still doing it. I may not get to care whether you live or die Hailey, but you should."

I turned around to face Damon, but he was gone. I took a shaky breath; I didn't know why, but his words made me want to cry. Because I did know, deep down, that he was right.

I didn't know what made me get out the box of candles from under my bed and light them in a large circle. Almost as if I was being controlled like a puppet, I sat down in the circle with my legs crossed, and closed my eyes. Then I focused my thoughts.

_Victoria, help me._

I felt light headed for less than a second, then I opened my eyes. I wasn't in my room anymore. I was in a large, open field with the bright sun shining down on. There was a light breeze. I wasn't alone in the field. A girl around my age was walking towards me. Instinctively, I stood up and went to meet her.

We met in the middle, and the girl grinned at me. "Hello, Hailey. I am so glad that we finally get to meet."

It was like looking in a mirror.

Victoria Ellis grinned at me, wearing the clothes she died in. I could faintly see blood stains in the front.

"Uh, hi." I said, weirded out. It was just too damn freaky for me.

"You wanted my help?" she asked, sitting down and patted the spot next to her.

Slowly, I sat down next to her. "You heard me?" I asked.

"Of course I did. You really think I wouldn't be listening out for the next generation?" she asked me with a raised eyebrow.

I slowly nodded, and she smiled at me. God, were my ears really that big?

"What do you need, Hailey?" she asked.

I gulped. "I-I need to know how to expand my powers." I said.

"Ah." she said, turning away from me. "Well, that's easy."

"What do I need to do?" I asked immediately.

"Let me in."

My eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"Let me in your body, Hailey. Let me help you. I know what to do, and together we'll make you a perfect weapon. A weapon that can defend all of her friends." She said, smiling like it was the perfect plan.

I considered her words. It made sense, but I was still a little wary to share my body with my suicidal ghost clone.

She held out her hand. "Let me help you, Hailey." she repeated.

I took a deep breath. and then with newfound determination, I grasped her hand.

It was like I got caught in a tornado. I was being whirled around, and felt like something was forcing itself inside me. Everything stopped suddenly. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't.

Slowly, my eyes opened and I peered up at my ceiling. I felt my mouth pull into a smile, but I wasn't making it do that.

I -or my body- stood up, and walked over to the mirror hanging on my wall. I stared at my reflection grinning at me, with wild eyes. What the hell's going on?

My hand went out to brush my bangs out of my face, and at the same time my voice rang out loud and clear with disdain, "Goodness, why did you put holes in your ears? And why do you have ink stains on your arm?"

I suddenly realized what was happening. Victoria was possessing me.

"You little bitch." I said.

It was strange, my lips didn't move, but mirror Hailey's did. I felt my lips pull up into a sick little grin.

"Language, my little Hailey." Victoria said.

"What are you doing?" I asked, and watched in amazement as my mirror image's lips moved to the words and then glared at myself/Victoria. God, this was confusing.

"I'm going to help you, Hailey." she said, as she turned away from the mirror.

"What does that mean?" I demanded.

Victoria's lips pulled up into a smile.

"I'm doing the world a favor, Hailey. I'm ending the Ellis curse. After I've had my fun having a body again, I'm going to kill you."

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **Victoria- what a crazy bitch. Oh, and this story got past 200 reviews today. Yay! Cyber hugs all around :D thank you to everyone who's reviewed. It means a lot.

Thank you to: HawthorneTree, SomebodyWhoCares, Carrie9586, myblacktears, jacquline, and AubreySalvatore for reviewing!

Reviews are inspiring :)

~Abby!


	34. possession is a bitch

**Chapter thirty three**

**Possession is a bitch**

*Hailey*

Silence. Usually, I hated it. I liked things loud, I liked noise. But the lack of it was a good sign to me. She was asleep. I, on the other hand, was exhausted; because how could I sleep knowing I was hours away from dying?

I was an idiot. A complete dumbass. In reality, I deserved what I was getting, but that didn't make me like it any better. I was doomed, there was no way I could fight off Victoria when I had no control over my body. My only chance to survive was to alert Damon, Elena, and Stefan somehow. But that was near impossible, because I had no control over my speech and body. Plus, Victoria had access to all of my thoughts, feelings, and memories.

"Hailey, be a dear and be quiet. I am trying to sleep. We have a long and busy day ahead of us." Victoria said abruptly.

_Go to hell where you belong, Victoria, _I thought.

"All in due time, Hailey." She smirked, before sitting up and stretching.

It was around seven AM, and Elena would be calling to see if I needed a ride to school, I thought automatically.

Victoria heard my thoughts, and smiled energetically. "Oh, how I missed school!" she exclaimed, getting out of bed.

_You know, for how much we look alike, we're polar opposites, _I thought, somewhat glad for that.

Victoria pursed her lips, and chose to ignore me. "Isn't Elena our best friend who's the doppelganger of Katherine? I bet the Salvatore brothers had a field day with that one." She said, walking to my closet.

I ignored her, and instead worked on shielding my thoughts. She laughed humorlessly as she flipped through the small selection of dresses.

"All your work is pointless, Hailey. I'm too strong, thanks to your powers. Each generation is stronger than the last, but I'm stronger than you, since I have the knowledge how to manipulate your powers."

I ignored her words again, and kept pushing at the wall that formed between her soul and mine. It was like we were in a car. She was driving, and I was stuck in the passenger seat.

"Ooh!" she screamed suddenly, pulling a mint green dress that made me flinch out of the closet. She pulled off the girly pajamas, and slipped it on.

"With all the power you have, Hailey, you lack in taste. You should dress more like a girl; people might find you more approachable."

_If you get out of my body, I promise to dress more like a preppy bitch; _I tried, knowing it would never work.

She smiled, "nice try, Hailey." She said, before looking for heels.

Twenty minutes later, she was dressed and ready to go, and I wanted to claw my eyes out at the sight of me in the mirror. Victoria, on the other hand, looked pleased at her handiwork.

She sat down at the desk, and looked at the tattoo on my left wrist- the Chinese symbol of strength.

"Why would you do this to your body, Hailey?" she asked in a disgusted tone.

_Wow, you should meet my mom, you two would get along great, _I thought sarcastically, though it was the truth.

Just then my cat padded into the room and when she saw Victoria, she froze. Victoria watched Ellie with interest, as she hissed, and the hair on her back rose, as if she could sense that it wasn't me.

"I see that you already have your familiar." Victoria said, as if stating the weather.

_Familiar? Isn't that what witches have? _I thought, as Ellie continued to hiss and growl.

"No, it's a fairy thing, though back in the old days- including my time- people would assume fairies to be witches, since their powers were so similar. In fact, a good amount of fairies were burned at the stake, accused of witchcraft. Same with psychics. People mix the three species together because of their similarities, but there are many differences between them, including animal familiars."

_Wait, back track. I'm a fairy? _I asked, a little disappointed.

"Oh, you considered yourself to be psychic, that's right. No, you're a fairy, I'm a fairy, and all our ancestors are fairies. It's an easy mistake to make though, the difference is that psychics just have visions, fairies have a variety of powers. It just depends how far you're willing to dig."

I was still reeling from the fact that I was supposed to have wings and sparkle, when my cell phone went off.

"_Nice guys finish last, _

_That's why I'll treat you like trash,_

_It's not what I really wanna do,_

_But you only date bad guys,_

_So I'll give it my best try,_

_To treat you the way you want me to."_

Victoria jumped and fell off the chair, smacking her head on my desk. I would've laughed, if it hadn't hurt me too. I groaned, as Victoria sat back up, and looked around for the source of the music.

_Chill grandma, it's called a cellphone, and mine's going off right now. It's probably Elena, _I explained.

Victoria hesitantly picked the cellphone up off of my nightstand. Ellie kept her distance, and hopped up onto my bed. Her yellow cat eyes never left Victoria.

_Press the green button, _I thought, rolling my eyes if I could.

Victoria did as told, and pressed the button quickly, as if it might bite her. Then she held my phone to her ear.

"_Hailey?"_ I heard Elena say.

"Oh, um, hey Elena." Victoria said, and I felt smug. Elena was my best friend- she'd know if I was me or not.

"_Are you okay? You didn't get too hurt from the flashback, did you?" _Elena's voice rang with motherly concern.

"Oh, I'm fine Elena. Thanks for asking." Victoria answered cheerfully.

I laughed humorlessly in my head. _Wrong answer, Tori. Correct one would've been, "I'm just peachy, Lena bear. But I already have one overbearing mother and I don't really need another one."_

Victoria bit her lip, and I could practically hear Elena's eyebrows rise. _"__Right. Well, do you need a ride to school?"_ she asked.

"Actually Elena, since it's so nice outside, I'm going to walk." Victoria said politely.

"_Hailey, it's a mile and a half from your house to school." _Elena said, like Victoria was crazy- which she was.

"I have to make a stop first, Elena. I'll see you there. Bye!" Victoria said quickly, before hanging up. I was laughing uncontrollably.

_That was a train wreck. You're screwed. _I thought.

"Shut up!" Victoria snarled. She stood up, knocking over my chair.

"Where's the knife?" she snapped, in a pissy mood.

I had no idea. But as Victoria started to destroy my room looking for it, it occurred to me- Damon took it.

I could laughed, how relieved I felt. Victoria stopped looking when she heard my thoughts, and a twisted smile formed on her pink lips. "Well, this changes everything." She said. Ignoring Ellie, she walked out of my room.

_So, no more school? _I asked, actually wishing that we would go there. Since I knew that it would just speed up my death if we didn't.

"No, young Hailey, we're going to visit Damon Salvatore. But don't worry, I'll have time to tell you a few stories about fairies on the way." Victoria said, walking down the stairs and out of the house.

Yay, I couldn't wait.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: jacquline, SomebodyWhoCares, Carrie9586, and CharmedGirl92 for reviewing!

Reviews equal updates :D

~Abby!


	35. ending the Ellis curse

**Chapter thirty four**

**Ending the Ellis curse**

*Hailey*

_Tell me about fairies, _I thought. If I was going to die, I might as well get some answers first.

"Well, let's start with the original fairies." Victoria said as she walked. "There were seven, back in the eleventh century. They were brothers and sisters, and just so it happens, they all were born and died here, in Mystic Falls."

_What? _I asked, surprised.

"Yes, it seems like everything started here. Vampires, fairies, werewolves, doppelgangers. Actually, the original fairies were around when the original vampires were created. If you want to hear a story of romance, tragedy, and betrayal, I suggest you go track down an original vampire to tell you it. But back to the fairies, how they came to be has never really been determined. They were born that way, Adora, Garrett, Halia, Gemma, Adrian, Bella, and Joseph. Their parents weren't fairies, they were human.

"Molly- the fairy before me- once told me that Fairies were created to protect nature, to protect the magic. But that is a lie, Hailey. We don't protect anything." Victoria said quietly, as I waited impatiently for the next part.

"Anyway, as I was saying, the original fairies were siblings. They were very close too, before the magic got the best of them. Each fairy had a basic power that they were born with. Adora's was the ability to access one's mind, Garrett controlled fire, Halia could heal the injured, Gemma controlled water, Adrian had a special connection to animals, and Joseph had an infinity for the earth. But Bella was different than her brothers and sisters, she had two gifts. She was telekinetic and had visions of the future."

_Like us, _I thought, frowning in my head. What did that mean?

"There is something you should know about Fairies and their descendants, Hailey. In the days of the original fairies, witches cast a spell on them. The spell made it so that each descendant of an original fairy would have the same powers as that fairy. They would also look exactly like that original fairy. This also made it so that the only way that a person born into a fairy line would be an actual fairy, is if they are the same gender as the original fairy." Victoria explained.

_So it's not that we look alike, it's that we look like Bella, _I summed up, and Victoria nodded.

"Yes, Bella is the original fairy of our blood line." She agreed.

_Why did witches cast a spell on fairies? _I asked, still confused on that part.

"So that they wouldn't breed like rabbits and create a fairy army. Witches and fairies have a millennium old hatred of each other, like vampires and werewolves. That's why fairies are so rare, because witches- along with vampires though it was because of how good our blood tastes- hunted us down and killed us. We are a dying race, Hailey. There are only four blood lines still intact, one is going instinct tonight. There are only four fairies alive on this planet right now- one is you, on is an old man in a nursing home in Estonia, one is a man in an asylum in London, and the last one is a four year old little girl in Australia." Victoria said.

_That's why you killed your mother and your cousin, because you were trying to end Bella's line. _I thought, finally figuring it out.

"No, I killed Andrew because he was a carrier. My mother wasn't, but she walked in on me killing him, so I had to kill her too. It was all for the greater good though." Victoria shrugged, before frowning. "I forgot something though, a tiny little detail that's the reason that you're alive. My brother, William Ellis, died fighting for the confederacy army two years before I died. He had a wife, Jillian Carter. She got pregnant right before he died. When William died, she moved away with her mother up north. Then she gave birth to William Albert Ellis, the second. My nephew and your great-great-great-great grandfather."

There was silence while I thought about if I should be thankful that Victoria forgot about her nephew.

"Now I'm finishing what I'm starting." Victoria said quietly.

We were about halfway to the boarding house, so I popped another question. _What about familiars? _I asked. I was focused on distracting her from killing me.

"Familiars are animals that find fairies and protect them from dark creatures that want their light, their essence, their power." Victoria scoffed. "That's what Molly told me when she contacted me. Usually, it's up to the fairy before to contact the new generation and teach them about their history."

_You're such a good teacher, _I thought sarcastically.

Victoria ignored me and continued. "There's nothing worth protecting in fairies. We are dark, power hungry creatures, Hailey. That's what happened with the originals. One sibling got so hungry with power, that they killed their other siblings for their power. There is nothing good about us, Hailey. Remember that."

I was starting to think that there was some truth to her words. Maybe I was evil.

_Do you want to tell me what's so damn important about this knife? Why can't you just kill me with one from the kitchen? _I asked. I was blowing through questions fast.

"Fairies' souls are different from human ones. The knife would kill you, but not you're magic. Your soul would come back. That knife takes a fairy's magic into it, so that it can't come back. And you would come back Hailey; they always find a way to come back. The only thing that would completely and totally kill a fairy is that knife. Didn't you sense the power in its core, Hailey? It's the magic from all the fairies and carriers it's killed." Victoria told me.

A few minutes later, we were standing in front of the boarding house. It was dark and empty. I was glad, and hoped that we didn't come across Damon. I didn't want Victoria to hurt him.

Victoria walked up to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked. _Oh well, let's just come back later, _I thought. Victoria rolled her eyes, and held her hand over the door handle. She closed her eyes in concentration.

My ring glowed, and I felt it burn my finger. I yelped, and Victoria gasped. She glared down at the black onyx ring. "I see you somehow got my ring." She said her lip curling in disgust.

_What about my ring? _I asked. I was happy that my ring had blocked her from using my powers.

"It's as old as the original fairies. Witches created it, to block out some of the darker magic from the fairy wearing it. It's composed of magic, vervain, and vampire blood." She sighed, before taking the ring off and dropping it into the bushes.

Suddenly, I felt a strong surge of power. Victoria closed her eyes and smiled, basking in it. Then they snapped open. Victoria looked at the door, the lock clicked, and the door opened. Victoria stepped inside, and examined the empty house. "I like the new place, but the old one was better." She stated.

She walked up the stairs, and I felt dread slowly gnaw at me. My time was almost up. It was funny, how when you were only a few hours away from dying, done you finally realize your true feelings for somebody. I wanted to tell Damon the truth, how I would never be over him. Yet the last memory he would ever have of me, is me telling him that he had no right to care about me.

"Oh, how cute. Little Hailey has a crush on the oldest Salvatore. I hate to be the one to tell you, Hailey, but Damon Salvatore is and always will be in love with Katherine Pierce." Victoria's patronizing voice broke through my thoughts.

_Have I ever told you what a major bitch you are? _I thought.

"I only speak the truth. Besides, you're nothing compared to Katherine." Victoria said in a voice somebody might use when talking about their god or goddess.

_Hmm, I might not be the only one with a crush, Tori, _I thought, smirking in my head.

Victoria rolled her eyes, and came to a stop in front of Damon's bedroom. I tried not to think of the best night I ever had there, but it was hard not to. As they say, your life flashes before your eyes when you die.

Victoria walked into Damon's room, and instantly began to dig through his things. She scattered books and knocked over pictures, creating a real mess. She knocked over a picture on his nightstand, causing the glass to shatter. Victoria looked down, and I saw what the picture was of.

My face stared back at me, a sarcastic smile on my lips. I had my cheerleading uniform on, and was sarcastically acting like an overenthusiastic cheerleader. It used to be in Elena's room- Damon must've stole it.

Why did Damon have that picture? The thought made me smile softly in my head. I felt all warm and fuzzy inside. Victoria scoffed. "When you're done acting like a love struck child…"

She moved away from the picture, and continued to search Damon's room. I continued to think about that picture, and felt blissful despite my imminent death.

"It's not here!" Victoria screeched suddenly. She smashed a chair against a wall in anger, using my telekinesis.

_Oh well, that's too bad, _I thought, enjoying Victoria's bad luck. _Guess we'll just have to reschedule my murder._

Victoria laughed humorlessly. "Hailey, I'm' going to kill you tonight. Even if I have to come back every god damn century to keep you dead."

I felt all hope drain from me at that moment. I was screwed, done for.

"Hailey, what are you doing?"

Victoria spun around to see Damon leaning nonchalantly against the doorway. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. I, on the other hand, was beaming at the sight of him.

"I want my knife back, Damon." Victoria hissed. Damon raised his eyebrows, his eyes icy and cold.

"No."

Victoria gaped at him, and Damon walked into his room and started cleaning up the mess she made. "I'm serious Damon." she said, glaring daggers at him. I was worried she would hurt him, and wished that he would just give her that damn knife- for his safety.

"I'm sure you are, but I would rather cut off my hand then give you that knife, Hailey. Because if I do, you're going to go do something stupid and get yourself killed." He said, picking up books and shattered glass.

_Too late, _I thought.

Victoria sighed, and then tried a different tactic. I felt her digging around in my head, and there was nothing I could do about it. "Damon," she said in a softer voice. "I'm sorry about our fight yesterday."

Damon didn't look at her, but he stopped cleaning. "You can't tell me not to care about you, Hailey. Because I do care." He said gruffly.

She reached out and touched his shoulder. That's when I realized that Victoria was trying to seduce Damon. "I know, I was being a bitch. I'm sorry." She said, actually kind of sounding like me.

Damon turned around, his icy blue eyes searching her face. I felt like my stomach was full of led. He actually believed that Victoria was me.

Victoria touched his cheek. "I'm sorry I'm such a pain in the ass, Damon. I know that you're just trying to protect me." she said. I saw in his eyes that he believed her.

"It's fine Hailey. I'd expect nothing less from you." Damon said, his face still expressionless.

_Victoria, kiss my man, and I swear to god, the next eternity I spend as a ghost, I will spend making yours a living hell, _I threatened.

_I've been to hell, Hailey. It's not nearly as bad as people think, _she thought back, before leaning in and kissing Damon. he kissed back enthusiastically, and I could feel his lips.

Victoria covertly slipped her hand into his jacket pocket, feeling around for the knife. She distracted Damon with her lips while searching for the knife. She was a sneaky little bitch.

I felt Victoria's hand curl around the knife, and was about to pull it out of his pocket. And then she was slammed against the wall by the neck. I groaned in pain, as Damon clutched her neck tightly. I couldn't breathe.

"Long time, no see Victoria." Damon said casually, his blue eyes hostile.

Victoria laughed hysterically. "You can choke me all you want, Damon- if you're into that-but I'm dead. I don't feel anymore. All you're doing is hurting your precious Hailey." She wheezed.

Damon let go instantly, and I had a flow of oxygen again. Victoria laughed obnoxiously at him. "You Salvatores and your weakness when it comes to women." She laughed, and I felt like punching her.

"What the hell are you doing, Victoria?" Damon snarled at her.

"I'm ending it, Damon. I'm finishing what I started." She said seriously, all humor gone.

Damon smiled humorlessly, and shook his head slowly. "I'm not going to let you hurt her, Victoria. I'd die first before I'll let you lay a bony little finger on her."

She grinned back. "You're too late, Damon. you're a century too late." And then with a gesture of her hand, Damon was flat against a wall.

With another gesture, Victoria had the knife. She looked at Damon. "I'm sorry Damon. 'I've always had a soft spot for you Salvatore brothers." She said softly.

Then Victoria ripped a leg off of a chair telekinetically, and shoved it into his chest.

Without another glance, Victoria walked out of the room, with me screaming and cursing the entire time.

_**~LMF~**_

It was dark out when Victoria walked into the cemetery. I was done trying to prolong my death. I was too worried about Damon. I didn't know if she hit his heart or not. If she didn't, he would come after me. I didn't want Victoria to kill him, and I knew that she would if she had to.

"It's about time that you shut up." Victoria said, as we walked into the older parts of the cemetery.

_I have nothing to say to you. I just want this over with, _I thought.

"You and me both, Hailey," she said, as she stepped in front of a large, square gravestone.

"I'm glad that they didn't bury me with the rest of my family- we don't want to awake those ghosts." Victoria said, as she brushed the dirt, dust, and grime off of the gravestone.

_Victoria Andromeda Ellis_

_July 19, 1847- March 22, 1864_

_Beloved daughter and friend_

"_In the end, all we will have is love."_

She read her gravestone out loud, and I smirked in my head.

_Since you're such a hateful bitch with no love, you have nothing then, right? _I thought.

She smiled slightly. "I have love in my soul, Hailey. I've done bad things, but for good reasons. You should ask your boyfriend, I bet he knows a lot about that."

_Oh, that's right, I forgot about _your _vampire boyfriend who's obsessed with me because of you. _I was pissed off, even though I knew it was stupid to egg her on. But I was who I was.

"Nico? Yes, I do hold affection for him. but in all honesty, Nico loved me far more than I could ever love him. it was very intimidating." She sighed.

I decided not to poke her any farther in her love life, I just wanted this over and done with. _Can we just do this, Victoria? _I thought, scared.

"Of course, Hailey." She stood over her grave, the knife poised over her chest. "I'm doing you a favor, you know." She said quietly.

_How so? _I asked, intrigued.

"No fairy has ever had a happy ending, Hailey. They all died, murdered or killed themselves just to get it over with. Even the originals were all killed. Bella's husband murdered her in front of her two sons. All fairies die painfully, it's what we're doomed for." Victoria told me quietly.

I exhaled, and thought about what she said. _Just don't make it hurt so much, _I thought childishly.

Victoria smiled with understanding. "After a little bit, you can't even feel anymore. It'll be over before you know it." She said with compassion.

She took a deep breath, and raised the knife. I braced myself for the pain, and thought, _you'll never know how much I loved you, Damon._

Victoria went to strike the knife into my flesh, when she was suddenly tackled to the ground.

Damon yanked the knife away from Victoria. he glared at her with pure hatred. "If you weren't already dead, Victoria, I would kill you."

She rolled her eyes at him. "When will you realize that you can't save Hailey, Damon?"

Damon ignored her. "We'll figure out a way to get the crazy bitch out of you, okay Hailey." He said to me.

Victoria scoffed. "You know what I think? I think Damon Salvatore found a new play toy to help him move on from Victoria." she said.

He didn't respond, and she continued. "I see it in those pretty eyes of yours, Damon. you care about Hailey, you feel for her. Very unlike the big scary Damon I've heard so much about. Does she make you feel human, Damon? does she make you feel alive?" Victoria cackled, and I knew that she was trying to get him to snap.

Something flickered in Damon's eyes, and Victoria smirked smugly. "She does! You've been dead for so long, and then Ms. Tough-as-nails comes along- who secretly isn't nearly as tough as she'd like people to think- and you fall for her. You fell so hard, and it terrifies you, that a human could make a century old vampire feel like that.

"It was all an act, Damon. you think that you used Hailey? Try the other way around! Hailey never cared about you, Damon, as a friend or otherwise. Who'd care about you? No one would choose Damon Salvatore. Katherine chose Stefan over you, Elena didn't even look twice at you, and even your own parents liked Stefan better." Victoria paused. "You know, she's begging me to kill you right now. I think I just might do her the favor."

_Victoria, please! Please! Don't hurt him! you can kill me all you want, just leave him alone! I love him! _I screamed, as Damon's eyes turned emotionless, and he looked like he got the wind knocked out of him.

Victoria raised her hand and Damon went flying until he hit a tree. Victoria followed him as I continued to beg her to let him go. She continued to ignore me. Damon didn't even struggle as Victoria summoned a broken branch.

_Please Victoria, I'll do anything! _I begged. I hated feeling like that useless girl in the movies who just whined and cried, not doing anything.

"At least you'll be together in the afterlife, Hailey." She whispered. With a wave of her hand, she sent the stake towards Damon's heart.

"No!"

I screamed out the word, as I broke free from Victoria. I broke the wall, and took control. The stake dropped in midair, and so did Damon. I felt Victoria struggling, and knew that I had no choice. I hastily picked up the knife off of the ground, and stabbed myself in the stomach.

"Hailey!" Damon shouted, as I fell to my knees from the pain.

I felt Victoria disappear, as I moaned out in pain. At least I had my body back.

"I-I love-" I tried to gasp out to Damon, as he ran for me. I needed him to know how I felt, if I did die. I needed him to know that Victoria was lying.

But then the pain became too much, and I passed out into Damon's arms.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **so, I think I had too much fun coming up with the background of fairies. I don't know if any of you guys would care, but I'm thinking about writing about the original fairies, after I'm done with LMF. I already have the story line in my head, and it's going to be a love story between an original fairy and a sexy hybrid, and another original fairy and that hybrid's hot big brother.

Thank you to: colleenrawr, Samantha meyers, bloody alanna, HawthorneTree, Carrie9586, OBSESSEDwithPOWERS, Angelfang, Pinkbeca, SomebodyWhoCares, AubreySalvatore, kat, jacquline, and Abi for reviewing!

Reviews inspire updates :)

~Abby!


	36. finally

**Chapter thirty five**

**Finally **

*Hailey*

I woke up in a soft, familiar bed that smelled just like Damon. I pulled the blankets tighter around me, before burying my face into a pillow. I wasn't ready to wake up yet; I just wanted to stay in Damon's bed forever.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked around Damon's room. It was back in perfect condition, and I saw the picture of me on the nightstand, in a new frame. I groaned softly, as I remembered yesterday's events.

Victoria was gone, I was alive. But I was still terrified to face Damon. Partially because I did something really stupid and let Victoria possess me, but mostly because I was head-over-heels in love with him. Nothing like a near-death experience to make you realize something that you should've realized ages ago.

Slowly, I got out of his bed, my stomach aching. Dried blood was on my clothes, so I went into the bathroom and took a long shower, contemplating on what to do. I had to face Damon sooner or later; I had to face my feelings sooner or later.

I could go on pretending and being his friend like before. But being "Just Friends" was such a stupid idea. Exes couldn't be friends, and anyone who tried to convince themselves otherwise were just ignorant. Or they didn't want to face the truth, sometimes both.

But I didn't want to lose Damon. And the facts were that Damon would always love Katherine, and I would always love him. I had to decide, would I rather go through the pain of hiding my feelings every day, or would I rather go through the pain of letting him go. The healthy choice would be to let him go, but I didn't know if I could do that.

I got out of the shower and borrowed clothes from Stefan's room that Elena had left there. I was trying to prolong when I would have to face Damon. There was no doubt in my mind that he was pissed at me. Even after he warned me not to, I went and contacted Victoria. Then I almost got both of us killed.

My wet hair in a ponytail, I finally walked towards the stairs, nervous to see Damon. I saw Damon staring at the fire in the fire place. His back was to me, and there was a crimson colored drink in his hand- blood.

I sighed slightly as I watched him, my heart racing. I didn't know what to do, if I should hide my feelings or just tell Damon goodbye. Either way, I was in for some heartache. But first, I need to apologize to Damon. I just had to find the words.

"Are you going to sit there and watch me all night, or are you going to actually talk?"

Damon's voice was gruff and cold- perfectly reasonable. But it still hurt me a little, the cruel undertone of his words.

"Would you like a written apology, or should I say it out loud?" I asked, biting my lip.

He turned around to face me, his eyes as cold and icy as their color. I really messed up this time. "Even if you said it out loud in public topless, it wouldn't make me forgive you even a little bit." He said coldly, walking away from me.

"Damon, please!" I exclaimed, running down the stairs two at a time. "I'm so sorry, I'm an idiot, I know. I was stupid, really, really stupid, to believe Victoria over you. You have every single right to never talk to me again, but please forgive me. Or at least forgive me enough to talk to me. Or enough to stop looking at me like I'm the shit on the bottom of your shoe, even if I feel like it right now."

I stood a few feet away from him, no clue of what else to say. I knew that I chose Victoria or Damon, basically saying that I trusted her more than him. Not only did that hurt his ego, but probably his feelings too.

He just looked at me, his face emotionless, his eyes cold. "Do you have any idea how I felt, Hailey? I was 99 percent sure that you were going to die. And then I would have to go on the rest of eternity feeling guilty as hell that I let you die." He said finally.

I hung my head. "I was stupid, dumb, idiotic, a total dumbass. I was just all fired up after our fight, and I felt the need to prove you wrong." I admitted.

"You should really fight those needs." He told me harshly.

"I know, I know."

"You know what I did after our fight, Hailey? I got drunk. I didn't go and contact my dead ancestor when it was pretty damn obvious that she would kill me!" he shouted, rage filling up his eyes.

My head snapped up, and I met his eyes. I fought the urge to cry. "I don't know what you want me to say, Damon. I told you that I was sorry; that I was stupid, I don't know what else there is to say. If you want to yell at me, fine. I deserve it. But please stop looking at me like I don't mean anything to you, because I can't handle that." I exclaimed.

I felt different, not like my usual tough, careless self. This whole Victoria experience had changed me. This whole falling in love experience had changed me too. Maybe I was changed for good.

Damon looked at me, and I saw a flicker of emotion in his blue eyes- was it hurt? - Before they turned back to normal- cold, careless. "Who ever said that you meant something to me?" he said harshly, turning his back to me.

That was the last straw. I felt tears prickle in my eyes, feeling as if he had stabbed me in the heart. "There's a line between being a dick and being cruel- you just crossed it." I told him, walking towards the door.

"Hailey," Damon sighed. But now it was my turn to be pissed.

"I don't know what you want from me, Damon! I know that I deserved to be yelled at, but don't you dare say that I don't mean anything to you- because you don't risk your life on an almost daily basis for somebody you don't care about!" I yelled, letting a tear escape.

"That was too much, I know." Damon said, reaching out to grab my shoulder.

At first, I tried to pull away. But Damon was stronger than me. He forced me to look at him. "I'm sorry that I said that. You do mean something to me." he said, staring me straight in the eyes. I was glad to see that they weren't cold anymore. They were filled with an unrecognizable emotion.

I looked away due to the intensity of his stare, and mumbled, "I'm sorry too."

"Yeah, I got that from your speech earlier." He teased, brushing the tear away.

"Thank you," I told him. My heart picked up speed again, due to how close Damon and I were.

"For what?" he asked, not moving away from me. I was relieved yet I wished that he would at the same time.

"You're always saving me, so I thought that I'd just thank you in advance for all the inevitable future times." I said, blowing my bangs out of my face.

"You know, if you didn't go chasing danger like it was your hobby, I wouldn't have to always save you." He said.

I smirked at him. "Yeah, but I don't do safe."

Damon groaned. "You're going to be the death of me, Hailey." He complained teasingly.

There's a moment before the kiss, when you realize what's going to happen. It's that one second you have to back out of the kiss. Usually, I ignored that second and went for the kiss, but this time I backed out.

It would ruin everything if I kissed Damon, no matter how much I wanted too. So instead, I offered him a shaky smile and backed towards the front door. "I'm going to go to Elena's, catch her up on what happened." I told him, avoiding his gaze.

Damon just watched me, a thousand unspoken words passing over his face in a matter of seconds. Then I turned around and walked towards the front door.

*Damon*

He watched Hailey leave, knowing what he wanted to say. But he shouldn't say it, he'd put Hailey through enough already. But still, it came out. He couldn't stop it. He needed to say it to her.

"I love you."

Hailey's entire body froze, stiffening at the words he blurted out. "What did you say?" she breathed.

"I love you, Hailey." He said more firmly, walking towards her. "It's the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life, but I need to say it. I love you."

Slowly, she turned around to face him, her beautiful green eyes wide in shock. Slowly, she shook her head. "Katherine." She whispered. "You love Katherine."

"You never let me answer, when you asked me before, who I choose, you or Katherine. You just assumed that it was Katherine, but I didn't know, Hailey. I do now, though. I love _you, _Hailey. Not Katherine. I doubt I ever really loved Katherine. Not completely, not really." He said, his hands holding her face.

Hailey shook her head again. "No, Damon. I just- how do I know, that if Katherine ever comes back, you won't throw me to the side for her?" she asked, though she didn't move away from him.

"I guess… I guess you'll just have to trust me. I know that that doesn't mean a lot, after everything I've put you through. But I love you, Hailey. If you can only believe one thing I say, believe that." He told her, before leaning in to kiss her.

The kiss was slow, romantic, and passionate. Damon tried to show Hailey in the kiss how much he loved her, how that it was her, he chose her. After a while, she kissed him back. Just as passionate, just as loving.

"I love you too," she breathed when she pulled away for air. Hailey grinned up at him, before kissing him again, her arms wrapping around his neck.

Finally, they had admitted their love to each other, to themselves. It was about damn time.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **yay! I don't know how many reviews I got, saying "Get Hailey and Damon back together now, dammit!" I hope that I didn't disappoint :)

Thank you to: AudreyDarke96, vdemily, missxsunshine, bloody alanna, Samantha meyers, .destiny, Angelfang, Carrie9586, AubreySalvatore, jacquline, kat, SomebodyWhoCares, Pinkbeca, and Chella8181 for reviewing!

Review pretty please :D

~Abby!


	37. secret love is the best kind

**Chapter thirty six**

**Secret love is the best kind**

*Hailey*

The sun shone bright on my face, as my eyes fluttered opened. I was naked, with just Damon's shirt on. I grinned to myself, remembering last night. Damon and I were in love, and then we had pretty amazing sex. Three times.

I flipped over on my side to see Damon sleeping soundly. He looked so innocent asleep. I smirked to myself as I climbed up on top of him, and kissed him sweetly, but it gained passion as I ran my hands down his bare chest.

Damon's eyes blinked open, and he sleepily kissed me back. I laughed and pulled away, but I stayed on top of him.

"That's one hell of way to wake up." He mumbled sleepily, and I giggled.

"Well, I was bored, just waiting you to wake up." I shrugged playfully, and then Damon flipped us over.

"Why don't we fix that?" he mumbled into my neck, pulling his shirt off of me.

After round four, we moved to the shower for round five. I was glad that Elena and Stefan weren't home, because after our shower, I was lounging around the boarding house in nothing but Damon's shirt and my underwear.

"I'm hungry," I complained, as I flipped through channels on the TV, stretched out across the couch.

"So impatient." Damon's voice called out from the kitchen, the smell of bacon drifting over to me.

I just rolled my eyes and grinned, before turning back to the TV. I froze when my eyes landed on a commercial for Snuggle fabric softener. The creepy little bear was talking, and I got off the couch and ran into the kitchen.

"Hailey, are you really that impatient-" Damon stopped talking when he saw how scared I looked. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and buried my face into his chest. "What's wrong?"

"That creepy snuggle bear commercial was on," I mumbled, and Damon relaxed.

"Really?" he asked, sounding exasperated.

I pulled away and stared defiantly up at him. "That bear is the scariest thing I've seen in my entire life, and I'm in love with a vampire. You can't tell me that that thing doesn't give you nightmares." I exclaimed.

Damon turned away from where he was making me pancakes, and looked at the TV, to see the snuggle bear commercial still on. "You're right, that's pretty damn creepy." He admitted, turning back to my pancakes.

"Exactly." I said smugly, but didn't go back into the living room until the commercial was over.

I was eating pancakes on the couch with my feet in Damon's lap, when my phone rang. I answered it, only to hear Elena's frantic voice on the other line.

"_Hailey? Are you okay? Damon said that you would be okay, but I've been calling you for hours-" _Elena babbled, and I cut her off.

"I'm fine, Elena. Good as new." I assured her, frowning at Damon when he stole my bacon.

"_You sure? Where are you?" _Elena asked, and I froze.

I hadn't even thought about telling Elena about Damon and me. I had already been through lying to her about him once, and it would be stupid to do it again. But I was scared that she wouldn't approve, and would make me choose between her and Damon. I knew the answer to that question, but that didn't mean I was ready to let either of them go.

"Uh, at my house." I lied, and Damon's eyebrows shot up, but he didn't say a word.

"_Do you want me to come over and keep you company?" _she asked.

"No! Its fine, Elena. I'm just relaxing with Ellie. I'll probably fall asleep soon anyway." I said quickly.

"_Oh, okay, that's fine. Are you sure that you're okay?" _she asked, and I exhaled sharply. Lying to Elena hadn't gotten any easier.

"Peachy. Hey, guess what I found out while being possessed by the crazy bitch?" I asked, changing topics quickly.

"_What?" _she asked warily, seeing through my change of subject but pretending otherwise.

"I'm a fairy." I told her, and Damon's eyebrows shot up. This was news to him.

"_A fairy?" _Elena repeated, sounding shocked. _"I thought that you were psychic." _

"Me too. Trust me, I wasn't too pleased to find out that I'm Tinkerbell." I told her, sitting up.

"_Technically, Tinkerbell is a pixie, Hailey." _Elena told me, and I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever. I'll tell you all the details when I see you. Want to hang out tomorrow?" I asked, as Damon began to grow antsy, and his hand was edging up my leg to my thigh.

"_Yeah, I'll call you. Bye." _She said, before hanging up.

As soon as Elena hung up, I sat on Damon's lap facing him, and wrapped my arms around his neck. Then I kissed him, biting down on his lip gently.

"So, you're a fairy now." Damon mumbled, a hand snaking up into my hair.

"No fairy jokes." I mumbled against his lips, my breakfast forgotten.

"Aw, come on. Just one." He pleaded, pulling away. I gave him a look, and buttoned the buttons on my shirt that he managed to undo.

"If you want to have sex ever again, no fairy jokes." I told him seriously, pushing my messy hair out of my face.

Damon groaned. "You're going to threaten that whenever you want me to do something, aren't you?" he asked.

"It's my trump card." I smirked at him, before getting off of Damon.

"If it makes you feel any better, I love you." I told him with a smile. I liked saying "I love you," even if I wasn't the type of girl who usually did. I could tell Damon liked hearing it too.

"If you really loved me, you'd let me make a fairy joke." He muttered. I waved my hand at a pillow, and it smacked him across the face.

_**~LMF~**_

I felt weird, not wearing my ring. But I wasn't sure where Victoria had dropped it. Besides, I kind of liked the extra power I had. Though I would never go digging deeper into my powers, like Victoria had. I wouldn't end up like her.

It was raining, as Damon and I walked into my house a few hours later. I needed clothes and to let Ellie know that I was alive. She was my familiar, after all.

As I walked to the stairs with my hand holding Damon's, only in his shirt that I was for sure going to steal, and his boxers, my mother chose that moment to come out of the kitchen.

"Hailey, there you are. You haven't been home for days. I was worried that you were passed out in a gutter somewhere, and then what would people say-" she stopped talking when she saw Damon next to me.

"Oh, Hello Damon." my mom said, her eyes staring at our joined hands.

"Holly," he replied in a cool voice. It occurred to me then, that Damon didn't like the way my mom couldn't care less about me. It just made me love him more.

"Didn't you hear, mom? Damon's my boyfriend now." I smirked at her, before pulling him up the stairs to my room. It probably wasn't smart telling her that, in case Elena somehow found out. But I really didn't have that much control over what came out of my mouth.

Damon and I hadn't talked about our "Title." But it wasn't like before, we weren't stuck in awkward relationship limbo. We were in love now, and unless Damon personally told me that we weren't boyfriend and girlfriend, I was going to refer to him as my boyfriend. He didn't pull a face or go all stiff when I called him that, so I assumed that he was okay with it.

"Your mom's a bitch." He told me bluntly, as we walked into my room.

"Join the club." I smirked, as Ellie jumped into my arms and purred. I saw her totally different now that I knew that she was my familiar.

"She didn't even care that you might be in a gutter somewhere, only what people might say. What kind of mother is that?" Damon continued, as I made an attempt to clean my room. I kicked things under my bed and put empty bottles in the trash can. You could see the floor, and that was good enough for me.

"It's really sweet, how you're all worked up about what she said Damon, but that's not even close to the worst things she's said to me. It doesn't even make the top 20 list." I said, as I changed into jeans and a t-shirt.

"She's a bitch, that's all." he shrugged, as I put on his jacket that I had stolen before my possession by Victoria.

"Is that my jacket?" Damon asked, as I pulled him towards the door.

"Mine now." I smirked at him, before kissing my boyfriend.

*Nicolai*

It was raining, as Nicolai walked aimlessly through the woods. His daylight ring felt heavy on his finger as he walked without any real destination. He didn't need it though- there wasn't a ray of sun in the sky.

He had heard through the grapevine that Victoria had come back, if only for a short amount of time- to kill the Ellis girl. And the love of his existence never thought to look for him. It hurt him, since Nicolai had spent the last century completely and irrevocably in love with her.

He knew that Candace saw him weak because of this, but she was only hateful because of what Victoria had done to Andrew Ellis. Candy's hatred had caused quite a rift between the two of them.

So now Nico walked through the woods, trying to gather his thoughts through the heartache. If he hadn't already lost the ability to turn off his humanity, he would've. Just then, a break in the woods revealed a house, a familiar house.

At the top window, he could just see a young couple kissing. A beautiful, raven-haired girl and a tall, handsome man. Nicolai's gaze rested on the girl. Hailey Ellis. The descendant of Victoria, the heir to the fairy throne. Nicolai didn't know a lot about fairies- only what Victoria had told him- but Hailey looked just liked Victoria. That's all that mattered.

Suddenly, it occurred to Nicolai. He couldn't have Victoria, but he could have Hailey.

He watched with pained eyes, as the young couple pulled away from each other, and exchanged their love for each other. Anger flared up inside of Nicolai, along with what he called jealousy. Salvatore looked at Hailey the way he used to look at Victoria. Damon really did love Hailey, _his _Hailey.

Nicolai swore to himself that he would have Hailey Ellis. Even if he had to turn on his allies to protect her, even if he had to kill Salvatore to get her, even if he died doing it. He would have Hailey Ellis, and then he would turn her, so that they could be together forever.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **I actually felt really bad for Nicolai while writing this chapter. He truly loved Victoria, and then he transferred his love for her onto Hailey. I just think that it's sad, how much he loved Victoria, and how she cared for him, but didn't love him. What a bitch.

Thank you to: missxsunshine, vdemily, Carrie9586, Stefanie, kat, Kelsey, Pinkbeca, HawthorneTree, KimmyWSmith, Samantha meyers, AubreySalvatore, jacquline, and SomebodyWhoCares for reviewing!

Yay! TVD is on tomorrow and I get to see my Elijah again! :D I love him so much, not as much as Damon- of course- but just as much as Klaus.

Review!

~Abby :D


	38. their first fight

**Chapter thirty seven**

**Their first fight**

*Hailey*

"I'm hungry." I said randomly, in the passenger side of Damon's Camaro.

"You ate like three hours ago." Damon said, and I shrugged.

"Doesn't change the fact that I'm hungry."

He sighed, before pulling into the parking lot of a diner. I smirked to myself, as Damon opened my door for me, and we walked into the diner, his arm wrapped around my waist. The diner was surprisingly busy as we walked in, and a young girl with dark blonde hair seated us. She was nice enough, and she had the decency not to check out Damon in front of me. I could respect that.

She looked familiar though, our waitress. Her nametag read Julia, and my frown increased. She seemed familiar, her name and her face. Julia took our drink orders, and then left us. I frowned after her.

My eyebrows were furrowed, as I took out my phone and typed in her name and searched for her picture. I didn't know her from around school or town. Maybe it was from the bar, or a party. But it was bugging me, and I needed to find out.

"Are you stalking our waitress?" Damon asked, sounding amused.

"I know her from somewhere. I think it's from an article, but I'm not sure." I said, my eyes glued to my phone screen.

I hid my phone when Julia returned, completely oblivious that I was, in fact, stalking her. She gave me my coke, and stiffened suddenly when she came close to me. I frowned, since it looked like she smelled something. Did I smell or something? I took a shower, though granted I didn't do too much washing during that shower.

When Julia laughed, I returned to my stalking. Damon just sighed, and shook his head exasperatedly. It shouldn't of have surprised him by now, my craziness. But then he watched our retreating waitress with pursed lips.

"There's something off about her." He declared.

I gasped, as I came across a missing person's report for Julia Mason. She went missing in California, in 1992. I must've seen a flyer or something when I lived there. That's how I recognized her.

What was shocking though, was the fact that the Julia in the report was sixteen when she went missing. The picture along with the report proved this and the face was identical to our waitress'. She would've been around 34 right now.

Julia our waitress didn't look a day over seventeen.

"She's a vampire." I breathed.

Damon instantly grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the booth. His grip on my wrist hurt, and I tried to pull away, but he was too strong.

"We're leaving _now." _He growled, his grip tightening. I whimpered slightly; if he tightened it anymore he would break my wrist.

Despite the looks that we were getting, and how people were muttering about how abusive Damon seemed, he dragged me out of the diner. "Damon, you're hurting me!" I finally exclaimed when we reached the door.

He let go, and I rubbed my wrist. "We don't know if she's working for the tomb vamps." I argued, as Damon stared with regret at my wrist.

"I'm not taking any chances with you." He said in a false calm voice. Then he opened the door and gestured for me to walk through it.

I raised an eyebrow, but walked silently to his car. The sun was setting, casting a bloody red color to peak out between the breaks in the clouds. As I got into the passenger seat, I noticed a flash of blonde hair and saw Julia staring at us out of the window, a stony expression on her face. Either she was bitter because we just dined and dashed, or it was because she just lost the opportunity to turn Hailey Ellis and Damon Salvatore over to her bosses.

I didn't say anything to Damon, but he could tell that I was mad at him. he sighed after a few minutes of silence and gave me a pained look.

"What did I do now, Hailey?" he asked.

"You act like I'm not capable of taking care of myself. But I've been doing that for seventeen years, Damon, and I'm still alive." I argued, glowering at him.

"I think your handful of near-death experiences begs to differ." He said dryly, and I glared at him.

Damon sighed, before saying, "I almost lost you a few days ago, Hailey. I'm not going to let that happen again."

It was sweet, but the stubborn, independent part of me was still pissed off. "I'm perfectly capable of defending myself." I argued, narrowing my eyes at him.

Damon sighed, exasperated. "Hailey, these are vampire, some even stronger than me. I'm not questioning if you can handle your own in a fight, but if they get one good hit-" he stopped suddenly, but I knew what he was going to say.

I didn't respond, but I was still bothered. Damon could tell, and the argument ended there. I didn't really know why I was upset, but I was. I didn't want to seem weak, and it seemed like that's what Damon thought I was.

"We should've stayed." I said suddenly, and Damon stiffened.

"No way in hell." He said firmly, and I glared at him.

"We could've taken the vampire on Damon, one less in the ranks of the tomb vampires. But no, that's not for itty bitty fairies like myself to handle." I said bitterly.

"Exactly." Damon said, and I glared at him.

"I've killed vampires before, Damon. I'm not human! I'm a badass fairy who is more than capable of taking care of herself!" I exclaimed.

"You act like you're indestructible, Hailey. You're not. You don't understand how easy it would be to kill you. Just snap of your neck, and your dead." Damon said harshly.

"No, it's not that easy. Victoria said it herself, that fairies are a pain in the ass to kill." I shouted, as Damon drove down my street. "So unless the tomb vamps managed to get ahold of that knife, I'm good."

"That's not going to happen, because that thing is at the bottom of a very deep lake right now." Damon said bitterly.

"Exactly, so why are we even fighting right now?" I asked, breathing hard due to all the shouting.

"Because you can still die, Hailey. Unless I get proof that you are absolutely indestructible, that there is no possible way for you to die, I'm not going to stop protecting you." He exclaimed, as we pulled up in front of my house.

"I don't need you to protect me, Damon," I muttered, getting out of the car. "Thanks for the ride."

"Hailey-" Damon sighed, but I was already in my house, and slammed the front door hard.

I didn't want to lose my independence in our relationship, that was my biggest worry. That was why I was making such a big deal out of Damon being overprotective over me. he was just trying to protect me, and I knew that, but I could protect myself.

I half expected Damon to follow after me, but then I heard his car drive away. I knew that he was giving me time to cool down. I walked to my room, and slammed that door too. Ellie was excited to see me, and I scratched her behind the ears as I sat down on my bed.

"Hey familiar," I smiled slightly.

"I know that he's just trying to keep me safe, but I'm used to keeping myself safe." I told her, feeling my anger die down.

Ellie meowed once, and curled into a ball in my lap. I sighed. "I was being unreasonable, wasn't I? even a tad too bitchy, right?"

Ellie meowed again, and I stood up. "I have to go apologize to my boyfriend, Elle. I'll see you later."

I didn't have a car, but I could walk to Damon's. so I climbed out of my window, and scaled the wall. I jumped down, and it stung a little, but I walked it off. I started off down the road, and soon it was pitch black outside. I got a little freaked out, as every little sound got amplified in the darkness.

I suddenly heard a loud snap behind me, and spun around with my arms raised, but no one was there. "Damon?" I asked hesitantly. Was he just trying to scare me?

There was no answer, but I was suddenly hit in the side by a rock, hard enough to leave a bruise. "Ow!" I exclaimed. "Damon, you're actually freaking me out now. This isn't funny, come out."

The answer was silence, and I knew that it wasn't Damon. he wouldn't purposely scare me like that. "I'm not your little boy toy, Miss Ellis."

I spun around, and saw a smirking blonde feet from me. Julia.

I backed away from her, my hands raised and ready to strike. "Are you working with the tomb vampires?" I asked, praying that she couldn't hear the fear in my voice. Despite the argument between Damon and me, I had never faced a vampire who wanted to hurt me by myself before.

"You mean those jackasses throwing a tantrum? Hell no. I don't work for anybody, Miss Hailey Anne Ellis. But I do have somebody who's just as interested in you. Zane is much more together than those losers. And he's dying to meet you."

And with those words, Julia threw me against a tree and knocked me out.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: jacquline, SomebodyWhoCares, Stefanie, Carrie9586, vdemily, MissMusic89, and Kelsey for reviewing!

Review please and thank you!

~Abby :)


	39. the new guys

**Chapter thirty eight**

**The new guys **

*Damon*

Damon paced in his living room, a glass of bourbon in his hand. He was still upset over his fight with Hailey. They hadn't been together for even a full day, and they were already fighting. He didn't think that that was a good thing.

After he finished his second glass of bourbon, Damon decided to go to Hailey's and apologize for whatever he did to piss her off. She had had enough time to cool off, he decided. The idea of being in a relationship was still so new to him. He was in love, and was loved back. Whenever he used to think of love, he thought of Katherine. But this love with Hailey was so different, and stronger, and… better. This was true love, what he felt for Hailey. What Damon felt for Katherine was more like an infatuation.

Damon was scared that he would screw up what he had with Hailey. He found that it was in his nature to screw up. Before he met her, Damon didn't think that being in love was worth anything. He had just gotten his heart shattered; the last thing that he wanted to do was run into another relationship. He even swore to himself that he wouldn't fall in love again. That love wasn't worth the pain or trouble.

But Damon wanted Hailey, more than he ever wanted anything. She was worth the trouble, the drama, and the crazy girl emotions. This was his chance to get out of this relationship. But Damon grabbed his jacket and started walking to Hailey's. He even had his apology planned out in his head.

Damon called her cellphone a few times, but just got her voicemail. "Congrats, you've reached Hailey's voicemail. If you don't know what to do, you don't deserve to leave a message. And most certainly won't promise to call you back." Hailey's bored, sarcastic voice sang into his ear over and over again.

At first, Damon thought that she was just giving him the silent treatment. But Hailey wasn't one to give the silent treatment. If she had a problem with you, she made sure that you knew about it. His concern was turned into full-fledged fear when he was about five minutes away from Hailey's house. A familiar smell filled the air and made his mouth water and his heart drop at the same time.

Hailey's blood.

*Hailey*

I woke up in an unfamiliar room, in an unfamiliar bed. I was very lightheaded and weak. I heard voices coming from outside of the room that I was in. I caught some of the conversation, as I struggled to remember what happened.

"… and you're sure that she's a fairy?" a familiar female voice asked.

"Yes, I am. If her taste and smell isn't enough for you, Julia, her light is almost blinding." A male voice with a slight European accent answered.

"You have to teach me how to see that light." Julia asked, and a chuckle followed her words.

"You don't really see a fairy's light, Jules, you just… sense it. It's really noticeable when you feed on a fairy." the male voice told Julia.

"I don't know if it was smart to take her, Zane. She has a vampire mate, and she mentioned the tomb vampires. I don't think that they should know that we're here. They'll kill us if we kill the girl before them." Julia said.

"Jules, I promise you that we'll be fine. I know what I'm doing. We'll be out of the country before those lazy sons of bitches even start to track us. I've heard about the Salvatore brothers before, and they're nothing that we can't handle. Besides, fairy blood is so rare to come by. We can't just pass up this chance, darling." Zane soothed Julia.

She sighed. "You're right. You have yet to steer us wrong." She admitted.

"Don't fret love; I won't let anything ever happen to you." Zane told her softly.

There was silence as the two kissed. When they broke apart, Zane said, "How about you get the first taste, love. You did all the work, you deserve it."

"You sure, babe? I normally don't share, but you've always been the exception." Julia said in a giggly, blissful voice. It was like the one I got when I was with Damon.

"I'm sure, sweetheart. I'm fully aware of how selfish you are." Zane teased her.

"I prefer the word 'independent,'" she retorted, as I heard footsteps come closer to me.

The vampire couple reminded me so much of Damon and me. I almost forgot that they had the intention to kill me. Julia walked into my room, and I got a good look at her. She was willowy, with pale skin, dark blonde hair, and gray eyes. Overall, she was very pretty. She had on a sadistic smirk when she realized that I was awake.

"She awakes, finally." Julia said, coming closer to me.

I tried moving away from her, but the needles in my veins connected me to a machine and prevented me from doing so. I was also very weak from blood loss. Julia moved the machine that was slowly draining me of my blood and putting it into a plastic baggy out of her way. The bag was over half full.

Julia straddled me, and brushed my hair away from my neck. I struggled, but it was no use. "Please," I whispered my voice weak and scratchy.

Julia ignored me, as she let her control over her thirst go. Her face contorted as she bared her fangs. I gasped just before she bit roughly into my neck.

Zane could hear the screams of the fairy all the way from the living room, as his mate fed on her. He smiled to himself as he poured himself some whiskey. He loved his Julia more than life itself.

Tonight would be fun.

*Damon*

Damon threw everything in his reach at the wall, breaking the random items. He had no idea what to do. Hailey was missing, and he could easily chalk it up to the tomb vampires. But then there was the blonde vampire waitress. Something wasn't right about her.

The thought of Hailey dying, made him feel worse than dead. And the thought of his last memory of her, being her walking away from him, pissed because he cared too much just made it worse.

Stefan walked into the living room. He took in the mess that Damon was making with raised eyebrows. But he didn't say anything. Damon looked at him impatiently, and Stefan gave his brother the status report.

"The trail ends right outside the diner," he told him.

Damon growled and smashed a lamp. Stefan looked like he wanted to say something, but thought better of it. "There has to be something that we can do." Damon growled, looking for something else to break.

"We'll find her, Damon. The tomb vampires probably got her, but that blonde sounds suspicious." Stefan said, moving a chair out of Damon's reach.

Damon grunted. He knew that he was making his love for Hailey pretty obvious to his brother at that that moment, but he didn't care. If telling Stefan and Elena that he was in love with Hailey was the key to getting her back, he'd do it. "Let's go look, and split up. Check in every twenty minutes. I'm not giving up until I find her." Damon told him emotionlessly, before walking out of the front door.

Stefan ignored how much it sounded like that his big brother was in love with Hailey, and followed him out the door. Damon ran around the area where he found Hailey's blood. He only caught one other scent that smelled like the waitress's. Damon gritted his teeth- whoever took his Hailey from him was going to pay with their life.

Suddenly, Damon heard a twig snap a couple hundred yards away, and his entire body tensed. Then he caught a familiar scent, and all of Damon's anger, fear and guilt caused him to snap. One sixteenth of a second later, Damon had Nicolai pinned to a tree by his neck.

"What did you do to her?" he growled, his hand tightening around Nicolai's neck. "I swear to god, I will rip your throat out if you so much as touched a hair on her head."

Another sixteenth of a second later, Nico had Damon pinned to the ground. He too looked pissed beyond all belief. "What the hell are you talking about, Salvatore? Hailey's missing?" he growled.

Despite his air supply being cut off, Damon managed to gasp out, "Has been for hours."

Nicolai let go of Damon, and stared at him with a look of loathing. But Nico was also terrified of losing Hailey. They didn't take her; if they did he would've known.

"They would've called me if they caught her." Nico shook his head. Suddenly, he remembered what Candace had told him a few days ago. "There are other vampires in town, we think about two. They're just outside of town." He told Damon.

Damon thought that that was a promising lead, and stood up. He was going to get his Hailey back. "Why do you care? Why are you telling me this?" he asked bluntly.

Nicolai took a while to answer, but eventually said, "I let one Ellis girl slip by me Salvatore, I won't let a second."

Damon left one eighth of a second later. Despite having a lead on Hailey, Damon knew that his fight for her didn't end with saving her from the new guys.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: colleenrawr, SomebodyWhoCares, Pinkbeca, jacquline, aireagle92, OBSESSEDwithPOWERS, Carrie9586, KimmyWSmith, vdemily, Samantha meyers, and Lady Syndra for reviewing!

Review, it's as simple as that.

~Abby :)


	40. rescue me

**Chapter thirty nine**

**Rescue me**

*Hailey*

I was on the verge of unconsciousness, as Julia wiped her mouth. She stared at me, and a look of pity crossed her face. She quickly bit her wrist and offered the blood to me.

"You look like you're going to pass out." She told me. I shook my head slightly, but Julia pressed her wrist to my mouth a forced me to drink.

I gasped for air, but felt stronger as Julia's wrist healed. "Why are you doing this?" I whispered.

Julia stared at me for a little while, before saying, "Fairy blood is hard to come by."

"He's going to come for me, you know." I whispered. We both knew who I was talking about. "And when he does, he's going to kill both of you."

Julia gave me a meaningful look, before standing up. "We will see."

With my strength back, I tried to use my powers. But nothing worked. I tried everything, but I couldn't even nudge my pillow using telekinesis. Julia smirked at me slightly, as she walked to the door. "You see those rocks?" she gestured to the crystals that were placed around me. "They render a fairy powerless. Don't even try to use your powers, they're useless."

As Julia left, I let a tear escape as I thought about Damon. He would come rescue me, wouldn't he?

It seemed to take hours, but I eventually got some sleep, though it was spotty. About two hours later, I felt somebody shake me awake. I opened my eyes to see Julia holding a tray full of food.

"Time to eat, Hailey." She said, and set the tray in front of me.

I shook my head. "I'm not hungry." I mumbled, though I was actually starving.

Julia gave me a look. "Don't be stubborn."

"You and your boyfriend are slowly draining me of my blood, and eventually plan to kill me when I run out of it- I have every right not to listen to you." I snapped.

Julia rolled her eyes, and continued to push me to eat. "Come on, Hailey. You need to eat food with iron in it, since you lost so much blood. I went to three different stores to get this stuff for you. I made you a cheeseburger, a salad with spinach and collards, and some raisins."

I made a face- I hated raisins. Julia sighed "Fine, starve." She told me, before walking out of my room. Though, she left the food.

I stared at the food, and felt my mouth water. Despite my pride, I devoured the burger, and picked at the salad. A half an hour later, a woman who looked like a nurse came into my room, and hooked me back up to the blood sucking machine. I flinched as she put the needles into my veins- I hate needles- and watched with a morbid curiosity as the plastic bag started filling up with my blood.

I was scared. I would be drained dry in a matter of days if Damon or Stefan or somebody didn't find me soon. I was staring up at the ceiling, thinking of escape plans that I could never pull off, when Julia came back into the room.

"Ugh, what?" I snapped, and she rolled her gray eyes.

"I thought you would be bored out of your mind, so I bought you a TV." She said, before rolling in one. I stared at her, as she turned it on and started flipping through channels.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, stopping at _How I Met Your Mother. _Julia sat down at the foot of my bed and watched the show. I was obsessed with that show, so I didn't protest, but I couldn't help but be suspicious by Julia's repeated acts of kindness.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked bluntly during a commercial break.

Julia looked like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "I don't know what you're talking about. She mumbled.

"Oh, really? Giving me your blood, feeding me, bringing a TV into my room so that I wouldn't be bored- normal vampires don't do that for fairies they plan on killing." I told her.

Julia sighed, and tossed her blonde hair out of her face. "You remind me of somebody, okay?" she admitted, sounding annoyed.

"Who?" I asked curiously.

"Me."

I raised my eyebrows at her, and Julia sighed and explained. "Everything about you, Hailey, your pride, your stubbornness, your bravery, your loyalty, how sarcastic, reckless, and impulsive you are, how you hate relying on people to save you- I know that you don't really want your vampire to rescue you. You're grateful for it, but you'd much rather save yourself- that's just like me, Hailey. You're just like me.

I pursed my lips, a little freaked out that she described me perfectly. Julia stared out the window, the sun just peeking out through the blinds. She made sure to stay out of its path. Julia had a distant look in her gray eyes. "I know that your vampire will come for you too, because Zane wouldn't stop until he got me back. And then he'd make sure to kill whoever took me slowly and painfully." She shuddered, and took a deep breath.

"When I was human, I lived in Santa Clarita- a suburb outside of Los Angeles. I hated it; I hated suburbia and how much I felt like a fish out of water there. It was boring for me, and I planned to escape when I graduated. Then I met Zane for the first time, at a diner where I waitressed. We struck up a small conversation, and became friends really quickly. My friends hated him- they thought that he was an arrogant ass- which he is." She giggled.

"But I saw something in him that nobody else could see, not even Zane. I saw his humanity. We started dating, and I fell head-over-heels in love with him. Though I didn't get the courage to tell him that until he told me his secret.

"There had been a number of missing people in my town, but people stopped going missing when Zane and I started dating. Eventually, Zane told me what he was. I won't lie, I was terrified of him. But he managed to convince me that he was still the man that I was madly in love with. And I eventually got over his lack of mortality.

"Eventually, we exchanged 'I love yous' and I knew that we were pass the point of no return. I kept getting older, and he stayed young and hot. So on my birthday, he bluntly told me that he would change me into a vampire if I wanted him to. I agreed to, he changed me, and we've been together ever since." She smiled, obviously as much in love with Zane as she was when she was human.

"Why did you agree to become a vampire?" I blurted out. I knew that that was a very real possibility for my future.

Julia raised an eyebrow at me. "If you had the option to be with the person you loved forever, why would you say no?"

I didn't answer, but Julia didn't expect me to. "So, tell me your story." She demanded, sitting crossed legged in front of me, like we were at a sleepover.

I did as told, and told her every detail about Damon's and I's messy love story. I started from coming back to Mystic Falls, up until when she kidnapped me. An awkward silence filled the room, as we both remembered that she and Zane planned to kill me.

Despite that fact, it felt really nice to tell somebody Damon and I's love story. Somebody who wouldn't judge me, who would understand what it was like to be in love with a vampire who had the tendency to be an egotistical dick, and who was hated by your friends.

"Wow, you win." Julia said to break the awkward silence. I grinned at her. It was ironic, how we had this spark of friendship happening, when she kidnapped me to drain me of my blood.

Julia stood up. "I have to go find Zane." She said abruptly, before leaving. I only hoped that the next time she came back wouldn't be to kill me.

*Julia*

Julia walked out of Hailey's room, and into their living room. Zane had left last night for supplies, and since the sun would burn him, he was due home soon, now that it had set. As if reading her mind, strong arms suddenly wrapped around her waist, and lips planted themselves on her neck.

Julia absentmindedly leaned into her mate, and he noticed that her mind was elsewhere. "What's on your mind, love?" Zane murmured into her hair.

Julia took a deep breath, preparing herself for the fight they were going to happen in four seconds. "I don 't want to kill Hailey."

Zane stiffened behind her, and Julia braced herself. "Are you out of your bloody mind?" he said it casually, but Julia knew that he meant it.

"For the love of God, Zane, we're killing an innocent girl just because we can!" Julia exclaimed, facing her mate with a fire in her eyes.

"We're killing for food, Julia! Last time I checked, that's what we do!" Zane shouted.

"No Zane, that's what you do, or did. I made it very clear that I don't want to become a murderer, yet here I am, killing this girl who's barely gotten to live." Julia crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.

Zane ogled her. "You've befriended the fairy, haven't' you?" when Julia didn't answer, he glared at his mate.

"Julia, we're already in too deep." He said dismissively, walking away from her and their fight.

"We're taking her from her vampire." Julia said abruptly. "Have you ever thought of that? If we kill her, he's going to have to live with that pain for the rest of his existence. And you know that that pain can kill. He's' going to be dead from that pain forever, and then he's going to spend forever trying to kill us."

Julia took a deep breath. "What if it was the other way around, Zane? If I was taken from you? Can you honestly tell me that you can kill Hailey, guilt-free, knowing that you're putting her vampire through that?"

Zane didn't answer her, he just walked to the fridge and poured himself a glass of fairy blood. "Zane, if you kill her, it's the end of us." Julia threatened, and Zane froze.

Julia left the room, leaving Zane to process her threat and how much she meant it.

*Hailey*

I was curled up in my bed, just wanting Damon. I looked up to see Julia walking into my room, looking pissed.

"You're not going to die, Hailey." She told me bluntly. I gaped at her, not knowing how to process her words.

Suddenly, Julia was slammed against the wall. I saw Damon, looking like he could kill, holding a stake against her heart. I was so happy, so relieved to see Damon. And then I understood what he planned to do to the girl who just saved my life.

"Damon, don't!" I exclaimed, and Damon turned around to stare at me in shock.

"Are you crazy?" he asked in a disbelieving tone.

"She wasn't going to kill me, Damon. Don't kill her, please. Let's just leave." I begged. The blood loss was getting to me. I had been hooked up to the blood sucking machine longer than I ever had been, and I was starting to become very light headed and exhausted. I just wanted to go home, if I didn't pass out soon.

*Damon*

Hailey looked so pale her skin was transparent. Damon saw needles poking out of her veins, and a bite mark on her neck. He felt fury blur his self-control, as his possessiveness over Hailey reared its head. Though she had never- willingly- let him drink her blood, he saw it in his mind that he and only he had the right to drink from her.

Despite her paleness, Damon saw that annoying yet sexy glint in her eyes- the one that meant she wasn't going to give in, that she was going to get what she wanted. Damon sighed, and let Blondie go. He just wanted to get Hailey out of here. Blondie stayed flat against the wall and didn't make a move to attack.

As Damon moved to get Hailey, he was suddenly slammed against a wall by a man who was baring his fangs. "Zane, just let them go." Blondie exclaimed.

Damon didn't pay any attention to Blondie. His own fangs were bared, and he threw Zane against the farthest wall. Not even a second passed, and Damon was tackled again.

"Give it up, I'm older than you." Zane drawled.

"Yeah, but I'm really pissed off." Damon retorted, throwing the man off. He knew eventually that Zane would overpower him, so he just went for Blondie.

She gasped, as Damon held the stake against her heart. At the same time, Zane went for Hailey, his hands around her neck. The two men stared each other down, but all Damon could focus on was Hailey's green eyes, widened in fear.

"Get away from Hailey, and I'll let Blondie go." Damon bargained. He noticed that Zane's eyes were firmly on Blondie. There was no question that they were mates.

Zane nodded slowly, and Damon moved the stake away from Blondie. Slowly, Zane stepped away from Hailey. Both men were ready to exact their revenge on the other if they killed the others' mate. But neither wanted to risk that pain, so neither did.

Eventually, Damon let Blondie go, and she flew into Zane's arms while Damon ran to Hailey. She was unconscious, as Damon pulled the needles out, ignoring the burn in his throat her blood caused.

He scooped her up into his arms, her head resting against his chest. Damon stared at the vampire couple, daring them to attack. Then he ran from the cottage. He finally had his Hailey back.

It was so strange for Damon, loving somebody so much that losing them felt like losing yourself.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **SomebodyWhoCares, Kelsey, jacquline, Carrie9586, CassieSalvatore, vdemily, and Angelfang for reviewing!

I love reviews!

~Abby :D


	41. limbo

**Chapter forty**

**Limbo**

*Damon*

Elena paced impatiently in the Salvatore living room, as Stefan watched her. He too was worried about his brother and Hailey. They should've been back by now.

Just then, Damon slammed the front door open, carrying an unconscious Hailey in his arms. Elena and Stefan were happy to see them, but judging by the look on Damon's face, they weren't out of the woods yet.

"She won't take my blood." Damon told them bluntly, as he set Hailey down on the couch gently.

"What do you mean? Can't you force her?" Stefan asked, as Elena sat down and pulled her best friend into her arms.

"I can't. every time I try, this happens." Damon demonstrated by biting his wrist and bringing it to Hailey's lips. The bite healed before it could even touch her lips.

"It's like she doesn't want to be healed." Stefan murmured. He tried to heal her too, but the same thing happened.

"What are we going to do?" Elena asked, obviously scared for her best friend.

"Nothing, there's nothing we can do. Hailey's being stubborn, and the only way she's coming back is if and when she wants to." Damon answered, masking his fear and pain.

"So we're just going to sit here and hope that Hailey feels like stay alive?" Elena yelled angrily at Damon.

"You can sit here- I'm getting a drink." Damon said, leaving the room.

Elena glared at Damon's back, before Stefan took her into his arms. Both were thinking about how Damon had just proved how soulless they had thought he was. neither knew that when Damon got to his room, he threw the nearest chair against a wall, breaking it. He was pissed off. at Hailey for being comatose, at himself for not being able to stop it from happening.

But mostly, he was in pain. This was the first time that Damon didn't know for sure if she'd be okay, that his blood would heal her. It was the closest that he had ever been to losing Hailey. He took a ragged breath as his eyes stung, threatening tears. He couldn't even remember the last time that that had happened.

He smashed another chair, and then another, hating himself for being weak enough to cry. To counter this, he broke most of the things in his room, ignoring his pain and preferring his anger. He drain one and a half bottles of whiskey, liking the way the alcohol made his pain seem foggy and distant. He was falling quickly back into his pre-Hailey ways. He almost automatically considered going out and charming/compelling a girl to sleep with/feed on. Then he remembered those green eyes and that sarcastic smirk. He remembered how soft her skin was and the day he confessed how much he loved her.

His old habits instantly fell away, and he was left with was pain. Damon stared at an empty bottle, and then smashed it. At that moment, he swore to himself that he would do anything and everything to get Hailey back into consciousness.

*Hailey*

I woke up, staring up into the cloudy sky, as rain fell down on me. Most people would have hated it, but I loved cold, cloudy, rainy days. I was wearing a purple bikini top, short ripped jean shorts, and the leather jacket I had stolen from Damon. it even smelled like him. y feet were bare and sunk into the cold sand.

In front of me was the lake that my dad, Elena, her family, and I used to visit every summer. The water was wavy and gray, the sand light brown and cold- just like I remembered it. I walked slowly towards the shore, stopping a few feet away as the rain started falling down harder. I sat down, burying my hands and feet in the sand.

I found an unopened bottle of bourbon and a bag of salt and vinegar chips next to me. I rested my chin on my knees and dug into the chips. I felt so at peace here, that I didn't even bother to think about what had happened to me or why I was here. I was at my favorite place in the world, in my favorite outfit, and eating my favorite food. I didn't care if I never left this place.

I closed my eyes, completely blissful. But when I laid down in the sand, I remembered. I was in a sort of coma- I had lost too much blood, and was on the edge of life. I gasped, and opened my eyes again. I was in limbo- I was so close to death. Yet I didn't freak out, and I wasn't fearful. I accepted it. I liked it here. There was no stress, no life or death situations, no heartache, and no lies- only contentment.

It was as if warning bells went off in my head. Somebody was trying to bring me back. I closed my eyes and focused all my powers on stopping it. The warning bells went away, and I relaxed again. I laid down in the sand, and ate and drank. I let all my happy, perfect memories drift through my mind.

I saw myself going to the zoo with my dad when I was five, Elena's sixth birthday party, most days at Elena's family's cabin, the seventh grade Sadie Hawkins dance. There was going to the All Time Low concert with Elena and swearing that Alex Gaskarth smiled at me, my dad teaching me how to drive, getting drunk for the first time with Ava, and my fifteenth birthday party.

After that, my happy memories had a huge gap in them. Then it started off at the day I came back to Mystic Falls. There was meeting Damon for the first time, our first kiss, the sleepover at Caroline's, all the times Damon and I slept together, the day he told me that he loved me… almost all the memories with Damon were happy ones.

I opened my eyes again. I realized what my happy place was missing. There was one thing that this place didn't have, that would keep me absolutely blissful forever.

Damon.

I gulped, my mood darkening. I was leaving him behind. I was leaving Elena, Stefan, all of my friends behind. Then a stereo system appeared near me, and started playing, "All To Myself," by Mariana's trench. Then I was lulled back into an ignorant bliss.

*Damon*

Damon had moved Hailey to his bed. Her head was resting on his pillow, and she almost looked like she was sleeping. But she was almost too still, and too pale for it to be really believable. Damon kissed Hailey's forehead, before lying down next to her. He pulled her into his arms, her head on his chest.

Damon focused his thoughts on her. He knew what he had to do to convince Hailey to come out of her coma, and come back to him. He wasn't completely sure that it would work, but it was his only shot.

He tried to get into her head. It would be a lot easier if Hailey let him in, but he could force his way into her mind if he had to. Suddenly, he was at a small beach. The wind was whipping around him, and it was raining. He was shirtless, but the coldness didn't affect him. In fact, it was quite a peaceful place.

He spotted Hailey near the shore and heard music playing on a stereo next to her. She looked beautiful, just sitting there, staring into the lake. He started walking towards her, and she didn't notice him until he sat down next to her. Hailey didn't look surprised to see him though. She smiled at him, as if she'd been waiting for him to join her.

"So tell me, are you the real Damon, or a figment of my imagination created to keep me happy?" Hailey asked him, her eyes not leaving the lake.

"You are unbelievably stupid, do you know that?" Damon said, glaring at the fairy next to him.

"Guess that answers my question." She muttered, draining the rest of the whiskey from the bottle in her hand.

"Why aren't you letting me heal you, Hailey?" he asked in a soft voice.

"I-I don't want to go back, Damon." she murmured, as a pack of coke appeared next to her, and she opened a can.

"Why not? Life's not that bad." Damon lied, because Hailey was the one thing that made his life livable.

"Please." Hailey rolled her eyes. "Life's a bitch, and then you die. You know what? I'm tired, Damon. I'm tired of almost dying every other day, of fighting this freaking war with the tomb vampires that can't win, and I'm tired of worrying about turning out like Victoria. I'm just so damn tired, Damon. I like it here, too. I don't want to go back." she admitted.

Damon didn't answer her for a while. "So you're giving up." He said a slightly harsh voice.

Hailey looked up at him, her green eyes wide in surprise. "No…" she shook her head slightly.

"You're giving up, Hailey. You've stopped fighting, you've given up." Damon's voice rose, as he glared at her.

"I'm not giving-" Hailey started to say, but he cut her off.

"What you're doing is so selfish and weak, I can't even believe that you're the same girl I fell in love with." Damon said, standing up.

Hailey looked like he slapped her across the face with a hot curling iron, but she stood up too. "Is it such a surprise that I lost the fight in me, Damon? I can't take it anymore. I can't take the pain, the fear, I can't take any of it anymore. I'm done, I quit." She exclaimed.

Damon just stared down at her, dangerously calm. "The Hailey Ellis I know would rather die than give up." He told her. At that moment, Damon realized that Hailey was never going to come back with him.

"Yeah well, the Hailey Ellis you knew has been MIA since the Victoria debacle." She said, pushing her hair out of her face.

"Hailey, I could stand here and give you a thousand reasons to stay alive, but I know that you wouldn't listen. So let's try this- I love you. And if you died, it would be like I died. Because as big of a pain in the ass you are, I don't know how I could go on if I lost you. So think about the consequences before you go through with this." Damon told her honestly.

He walked over and pulled Hailey into his arms. He hugged her before kissing her softly, knowing that it would be the last time. "Goodbye Hailey, it's been fun." He said, his mask back on, so that he could try to block out the pain of saying goodbye to her.

And then Damon was gone.

Damon gasped slightly, as he came back to reality. He was all too aware of what had just happened, of what it meant. There were no words to describe how hollow and empty he felt, knowing that Hailey was good as dead. He closed his eyes as he shifted her body off of him. He tried his hardest not to cry.

Damon opened his eyes and kissed Hailey's cold lips one last time, before standing up to go tell Elena and Stefan. He felt dead as he went to go report the news, that Hailey was gone.

Suddenly, Damon heard the best sound he had ever heard. Damon's head snapped around to see Hailey gasping for air. Instantly, Damon had her in his arms, and his bloody wrist was in her mouth. This time, she swallowed his blood.

Hailey's breathing went back to normal, as Damon just held her. He rested his chin on top of her head, and she buried her face in his chest. "What changed your mind?" Damon asked after a few silent minutes.

Hailey pulled away and smirked slightly up at him. "That was the crappiest goodbye ever- I couldn't let you get away with it. Besides, as much as haunting you sounds like fun, I'll be damned if people start to think that Hailey Ellis gives up."

She smirked again, and stood up. Just as Hailey started walking to the door, she added, "Oh, and I would've missed you like hell, too."

She never made it to the door, because Damon had her in his arms and his lips on her before she even finished talking.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: colleenrawr, Angelfang, Carrie9586, Samantha meyers, KimmyWSmith, AubreySalvatore, OBSESSEDwithPOWERS, jacquline, and SomebodyWhoCares for reviewing!

Reviews inspire updates ;)

~Abby!


	42. best friend bonding time

**Chapter forty one**

**Best friend bonding time**

*Hailey*

I woke up in my red bra, and Damon's boxers. Damon's arms were wrapped around my waist, and he was asleep. I kissed him lightly on the lips, before pulling away. He didn't want to let go of me, but I managed to pull his arms off of me. I laughed softly, as I got out of bed, and began looking for my clothes.

I sighed, as I found the remains of my clothes in the corner of his room. Damon opened one eye as I pulled on jeans and a shirt that I had left in his room.

"You know, if you keep ripping my clothes off of me, I'm going to run out of them soon. The fact that blood stains are a bitch to get out isn't helping that problem either." I said, as I tried to fix my sex hair.

"Try salt and cold water- works like magic." Damon said, as he stretched.

"Where do you think you're going?" Damon asked, as I put on one of Damon's leather jackets.

"Last time I checked, Elena still thinks I'm comatose. I have to go see her." I said, putting my hair up into a messy bun.

"Ugh, when will it be Damon time?" he complained with a smirk.

"It's been 'Damon time' most of this week- you know, when I wasn't busy almost dying. But I promise that you can have me this weekend." I said, as I walked over and kissed him on the lips. I pulled away before he could manage to convince me to stay.

"Love you." I called over my shoulder, a slight smile on my lips.

"Love you more." He smirked, as I walked out of his room. The sun was high in the sky as I walked outside. I got into Damon's car and drove to Elena's house- I had learned my lesson walking alone.

I pulled into Elena's driveway, and then walked straight into Elena's house like I owned it. The living room and kitchen was empty, so I walked up the stairs to Elena's room. I knocked on the door once before pushing it open. My eyes widened as I saw Stefan and Elena in a heated embrace, their lips locked.

"Oh God." I said, shutting the door.

"I swear, I have a gift when it comes to walking in on you guys." I muttered to myself.

Seconds later, Elena pulled the door open and stared wide eyed at me. I smiled slightly and hugged her tightly. "What can I say? I'm a bitch to get rid of." I joked, as Elena squeezed the life out of me.

Elena pulled away from me, and then hit me hard in the arm. I glared at her, as I rubbed the soon-to-be bruise. "Ow…" I muttered.

"You ever do that to me again Hailey, and I'll kill you myself." Elena threatened.

I rolled my eyes as Stefan shrugged on his jacket and walked out of Elena's room. "I'll let you two be alone." He said, and Elena smiled thankfully at him.

"It's good to have you back, Hailey." He said, as he walked down the stairs.

"It's good to be back, Stef." I called to him.

Elena ushered me into her room, and I sat down on her bed. Elena sat down next to me as she asked, "So when did you come out of your coma?"

"This morning," I lied. I had no excuse to make up for the time I was with Damon.

"Is it true, what Damon said? That you didn't want to come back?" Elena asked, and I saw the hurt in her eyes.

"Yes." I admitted. "It was very selfish of me, to want to leave everyone behind, but it's true."

"I don't blame you." Elena sighed. "Sometimes, I don't want to get out of bed, with everything that's happening."

I nodded, and told Elena about everything she missed. I left Damon out, though. I wasn't ready to open that can of worms. "God, who did you piss off to have such bad luck, Hailey?" Elena said, and I grinned.

"Who haven't' I pissed off, Elena?" I smirked.

"Good point." She said, and I laughed.

"Let's go to the Grill, I'm starving." I said, and Elena nodded. As we left her house, Elena spotted Damon's car, and raised her eyebrows. "Is that Damon's car?"

I nodded, trying to play it off. "He let me borrow it."

"What exactly is going on between you two?" Elena asked, as we got into her car.

I shrugged, though I was freaking out on the inside. "We're friends." I lied.

"I'm confused- one minute Damon acts like he couldn't care less if you died or not. Then the next he's risking his life to keep you safe." Elena said, as she drove.

"Well, Damon's bipolar like that." I said, uncomfortable.

"Are you sure that you don't have feelings for him, Hailey?" she asked, and I stopped breathing.

"I learned my lesson the first time, Elena. Trust me, Damon and I are nothing more than friends." I lied, hating the feeling of guilt that came over me.

Elena decided to take my word for it, and soon we were inside the Grill. We met up with Matt, Tyler, and Caroline, and I was happy to see them. I hadn't seen them since before Victoria possessed me.

"I'm totally kicked off of the cheerleading squad, aren't' I?" I asked Caroline hopefully.

"No, I managed to pull a few strings. The sight of you cheering is too good." She grinned and I scowled.

"You know, you still have to throw a party to make up for the one that got canceled." Tyler said, as he stole some of my nachos.

"Halloween's in a few weeks. How about you throw a party then, and I'll co-host it?" I offered, knocking his hand away.

"It's a deal." He grinned, and then the boys had to leave for football practice. "Let's go dress shopping!" Caroline exclaimed as Elena stared at me.

I raised an eyebrow at her, as my phone vibrated, signaling a text. It was from Damon. _Where are you? I'm bored._

I grinned as I texted him back. _Girl time :/ it sucks for both of us. If you manage to survive three hours without me, we can go to the movies. And I promise, I won't' make you see Footloose._

I sent the text as Caroline stared expectantly at me. "What? Uh sure, whatever." I agreed, not knowing what for.

"Yay!" she cheered, as we stood up and walked to Elena's car.

"Where are we going?" I whispered to Elena, as I got a reply from Damon.

"Dress shopping for the masquerade on Friday." She replied, and I made a face as I read the text from Damon.

_Deal. Trust me, if the remake's anything like the original, neither of us would survive the first ten minutes._

I grinned as I texted him back. _You were into musicals?_

"Who are you texting?" Elena asked curiously.

"Some guy I met at a bar. We have a date tonight." I lied, as we got into her car.

"Oh really? I thought you were into Tyler." Elena said curiously, as she got into the driver's side.

I choked on air, as she started the car. "Tyler?"

"I think you two would make a cute couple." Caroline piped up from the back seat.

"No way." I said, shaking my head.

"You two were kind of flirting." Elena said.

"No we weren't." I argued. I knew that I had hit on Tyler only a few weeks ago, but we were good friends. Besides, I was already in love with another arrogant ass.

My phone vibrated, and I smiled as I read his reply. I could hear his sarcastic voice in my ear. _Of course. Grease is the best movie ever made._

I replied quickly. _I wish I could've seen you in the fifties._

"Just consider it, Hailey." Elena pushed, and I glared at her.

"No thank you, Elena." I dismissed, as we pulled into the mall parking lot. I got out of the car, just as my phone vibrated. _I'm glad you didn't. The 50's were terrible. The Beatles pulled me through the 60's. The 70's- I'd prefer not to mention it. I didn't mind the 80's, but the 90's, ugh. The grunge look did not work for Stefan. Always stay away from fads, Hailey._

I laughed out loud, causing Elena and Caroline to glance questioningly at me. I just grinned at them. I knew that no matter what people thought, my heart belonged to Damon Salvatore.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **so, I know that Footloose isn't in theaters (at least in America) but it was when I wrote this chapter.

Thank you to: vdemily, SomebodyWhoCares, HawthorneTree, and OBSESSEDwithPOWERS for reviewing!

Reviews inspire updates ;)

~Abby!


	43. the movie date

**Chapter forty two**

**The movie date**

*Hailey*

"That's the one," Caroline declared, as Elena came out in a soft pink dress.

I nodded in agreement, though felt dread. Caroline had found a dress for the masquerade party on Friday- a jade green one- Elena just found one, and now it was my turn. I groaned and stood up. Elena grinned and ushered me into the dressing room. Caroline handed me a pile of dresses. I glowered, and tried on a silky red dress first.

I was surprised on how much I liked it. It was very red, with black lace trim. It was my style, short enough to annoy my mom, yet not short enough to be slutty. I walked out, and Caroline and Elena gasped.

"That's perfect, Hailey!" Caroline exclaimed. Elena nodded, smiling.

"Thank god." I said, glad that trying on dresses didn't take very long.

I changed back into my clothes, then bought the dress. I just needed a mask to match my dress, and I had one at home from a few years ago that would work. It was six by the time I got home. I quickly showered and changed for my date with Damon. I had to meet him at theater at seven.

I chose to wear a sexy purple tank top, gray skinny jeans, and leather boots. I was in my underwear, about to put on my jeans, when I noticed something- or someone- watching me out of the window.

Nicolai.

I jumped and screamed, before covering myself with a blanket. When I looked back, he was gone. I quickly changed, though my heart was pounding in my chest the entire time. "He can't get into your house, you're fine." I chanted to myself over and over.

It was dark outside, as I drove to the movie theater, a few miles outside of town. Mystic Falls was too small to have its own. I was still shaking from my encounter with Nicolai, but once I was with Damon, I'd feel better.

I tapped my foot impatiently, as I waited in line to see Paranormal Activity 3. I felt safer in the large crowd, though. Damon was running late. I was already at the front of the line, and he was nowhere to be found.

"Two tickets for Paranormal Activity. Please." I said to the teller, taking out my wallet.

"Sure," I heard a familiar voice say. Then after a pause, "Hailey?"

I looked up and beamed. "Derek!" I exclaimed.

He grinned back, as we both took in each other and how the other had changed. Derek Rizzoli was 5'8 with blonde hair and brown eyes. He was nineteen, and my exe. Besides Damon, he was the only real serious relationship I had ever had. I wasn't in love with him, but I did lose my virginity to him.

"You look good, Hailey." Derek complimented me. "I heard that you were back. Ironic, I always thought that you wanted to get out of here as fast as possible."

"Yeah well, California wasn't for me." I shrugged.

Derek and I had broken up on good terms. It was mutual. We broke up before I moved away, because we didn't want to try long distance and possibly lose our friendship. He was graduating high school and was going to college in the fall, anyway. It was bound to happen. I completely forgot to look him up. I was distracted by a certain vampire.

"Well, here are your tickets. Are you here with Elena?" Derek asked, looking around for her.

"No, I'm actually here with my-" I said, suddenly feeling awkward.

"Sorry I'm late." Damon said, kissing me quickly. Derek sized up Damon, as he wrapped an arm around my waist.

"Hey, it's fine." I said, smiling up at him. "Derek, this is Damon Salvatore, my boyfriend. Damon, this is Derek Rizzoli, my-"

"Ex-boyfriend." Derek finished, his voice cold.

Damon instantly stiffened. I knew that he didn't like Derek, and I would hate him when he found out that I lost my virginity to him. Damon didn't acknowledge Derek at all, but his arm tightened possessively around my waist.

"See you later, Hailey." Derek called as we walked away. He completely ignored Damon. "We should catch up later."

I nodded and smiled at him, as Damon practically dragged me away. I found his jealousy amusing. "Don't worry your pretty little head about it, Damon. We broke up two years ago, and we weren't even that serious. I didn't love him." I assured Damon, as he bought us popcorn. I decided that now wasn't the best time to tell Damon that Derek was my first.

Damon relaxed a bit, but his eyes still looked possessive when he looked at me. I'd make sure to make out with him a bit in a corner before the movie started. Derek and I had fun, but we weren't in love like Damon and I were.

"Do you like salt on your popcorn?" I asked. I couldn't eat popcorn without salt on it.

Damon snorted. "I do have taste buds, Hailey."

I smirked and shook some onto our popcorn. Then we walked to the theater, and Damon's arm snaked around my waist. I smiled and leaned into him. It was adorable that Damon was jealous of Derek.

I felt my phone vibrate, and figured that it was Elena asking for details about my "date." I didn't recognize the number, but read the text anyway.

_You're with him, but you're thinking about me. Aren't you?_

I frowned, and felt a chill run down my spine. Damon looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked, and I showed him the text.

His face turned stony, his eyes as cold as their color. He looked around us, but we were alone. "You don't recognize the number?" Damon asked, and I shook my head. There was a pause, and then we both spoke at the same time.

"Nicolai."

"Derek."

We looked at each other like the other was crazy. "Damon, just because we ran into an exe of mine, doesn't mean that he's stalking me." I said dismissively.

"_An? _You have _more?" _Damon asked, his eyes and tone filled with jealousy.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Damon Salvatore, you've been alive since the 1800's. I don't even want to know how many exes you have, how many girls you've slept with, how many you've used as human blood banks. Now, I've let Katherine go, so I think you can let one guy I dated when I was fifteen go." I glared at him.

His expression didn't change, so I continued on to prove my point. "We know Nicolai is obsessed with me. Besides, I saw him outside my house tonight." If it was possible, his expression got colder and stonier.

I blew my bangs out of my face, now in a bad mood. "Come on, we're going to miss the movie." I muttered, walking away.

I heard Damon sigh, and follow me. He grabbed my shoulders, and spun me around to face him. I tried to turn away, as stubborn and pissed off as I was, but he grabbed my face.

"I'm sorry. You're right. I'm wrong. I love you." Damon told me, running his thumb softly over my cheek bone.

I smiled slightly. "You should memorize that for your future screw ups." I mumbled.

Damon pulled me into his arms, and kissed me. I kissed him back eagerly, letting my anger go. We pulled away too soon, knowing that we were going to be really late for the movie if we didn't move.

"How do you know that I'm going to screw up in the future?" he asked, as he opened the door to the theater for me.

"Because you screw up a lot." I smirked.

He narrowed his eyes at me, and I smiled innocently back. We snuck into the back of the theater, as the movie started. I knew that he was still jealous over Derek, and that I hadn't let Katherine go. We still had little bumps in our relationship. But as long as we were still in love, and still fought for us, we'd be okay.

_**~LMF~**_

The movie scared me, but Damon didn't even jump. I guess being a vampire made you immune to horror movies. Derek was nowhere to be seen, as we walked out of the theater. I was glad; I didn't want to fight with Damon again.

"So you said that you saw Nicolai outside of your house?" Damon asked, as we got into his Camaro. I knew that he hated the fact that Nicolai was watching me. I also knew that there was no way he was going to leave me alone tonight.

I nodded. "I was changing, and I saw him out of my window." At Damon's murderous expression, I hastily added, "He only saw me in my bra."

It was silent again, as we pulled up to my house. It was dark, which meant my mom wasn't home. "Come on." I smirked at Damon, as I got out of his car. He followed me without a word, a smirk on his lips.

I unlocked the front door and pulled Damon inside. I locked the door and the deadbolt, since I had become very paranoid. I left Damon in the living room, and walked into the kitchen to get a bottle of bourbon and glasses.

My phone vibrated as I grabbed the bottle. I was apprehensive to read the text, but relaxed once I did. _Hey Hailey, it's Derek. I was wondering if you wanted to catch up this weekend. We could go out to lunch._

I grinned, as I texted him back while walking and balancing the bottle and glasses. I tripped over a loose floor board, and would've fallen, if Damon hadn't caught me. I smiled thankfully, as he caught my cellphone.

"Thanks." I said, as I poured our drinks.

But Damon's eyes were glued to the screen. "He's texting you?" he asked casually, as he handed me my phone back.

I rolled my eyes. "Relax, Damon. It's not the same number.

"He wants to 'catch up' with you. You're not going to, are you?" Damon asked, his eyes dark.

I stiffened. "Actually, I am." I said, as I tossed my drink back.

Damon laughed a humorless, sadistic laugh. "No, you're not."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Since when do you get to make my decisions for me?"

Damon glared at me. "Hailey, you want to go out to lunch with your ex-boyfriend who's clearly still into you, and May or may not be stalking you. You're not going."

I glared back. "I can do whatever the hell I want, Damon! So what if we used to date? We were really good friends." I said defiantly.

He rolled his eyes at me. "He's clearly in love with you, Hailey. Like I said before, you're not going."

"Yes I am! I don't care what you say. Yes, we used to date. Yes, I lost my virginity to him- it doesn't matter." Damon's eyes widened and he looked like he wanted to strangle Derek with his own spine, but I continued on with my speech.

"It doesn't matter, Damon. If you weren't the oblivious, jealous, possessive jackass you are, you'd realize that it doesn't matter if he loves me or not. Because I'm in love with you. For some weird reason, I am. But no, you just focus on how Derek may or may not still be into me. Damn it, Damon. If you can't trust me not to go running back to an exe, I don't know what the hell we're doing."

Then I stomped up the stairs, aware of the things flying around me. I slammed my door hard behind me, before promptly breaking my bathroom mirror.

*Damon*

Damon heard a door slam loudly, and resisted the urge to throw the couch against the wall. He growled, and smashed his glass on the floor before leaving Hailey's house.

What the hell was he doing? He loved Hailey, but he wasn't cut out for a serious relationship. It wasn't Damon. They've barely been dating for a week, and they've already fought three times. Maybe Hailey and he were a mistake.

Damon found himself at the Mystic Grill, and drinking heavily. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a cute blonde watching him. He knew what old Damon would've done. The question was if old Damon was still around. Hailey was right, what the hell were they doing? How did they get into this mess in the first place?

Damon smirked at the blonde, knowing that he had two options. He could take her home, sleep with her and drain her dry. Or he could go and apologize to Hailey. Damon didn't know what the right choice was, but he knew what he wanted to do.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **300 reviews bitches! I had to share that, because it makes me all fuzzy and warm inside :) thank you to all the reviewers, it means a hell of a lot that you're taking your own time to review.

Thank you to: ZGeminilol23, SomebodyWhoCares, Kelsey, jacquline, Carrie9586, vdemily, CassieSalvatore, and Samantha meyers for reviewing!

Keep on reviewing!

~Abby!


	44. forgive and forget

**Chapter forty three**

**Forgive and forget**

*Hailey*

I stayed in my room the entire night, hoping that Damon would show up and apologize. He never did. In the morning, I got dressed and ready for school. I felt lazy, tired, and moody after my and Damon's pretty big fight.

I wasn't angry anymore; I actually sort of saw where Damon was coming from. I would never, ever let him hang out with an exe who I thought was into him. My pride was keeping me from calling him, but I was half-considering ditching school to go see him. Elena and Stefan picked me up, and I managed to make small talk with them.

"I'm surprised that the tomb vampires haven't attacked lately." Stefan commented, as he drove us to school.

"It's us; we've slowed down their plans. We should expect them to attack Mathew Lockwood at the masquerade on Friday." I said in a monotone.

Elena raised an eyebrow at me. "Are you okay, Hailey?"

I nodded. "Yeah, just really tired." I lied.

I made it through first period without thinking about Damon, but on my way to second, he popped into my head randomly. I sighed, as I felt my heartache come back to me, the one question that had been haunting me since I slammed my bedroom door shut was bouncing around my mind.

Were Damon and I over?

I sat down at a picnic table, and pulled my cellphone out, considering texting him. Maybe Damon and I were just two people that weren't meant for relationships. Maybe we just didn't work as a couple. But that didn't change how much I loved him.

"Hey, Hailey." Matt said, sitting down next to me. "What's wrong?"

I looked at Matt, and the question spilled out of my mouth before I could stop and think about it. "If Caroline wanted to hang out with an exe who she didn't have feelings for, how would you feel?"

Matt paused for a second, considering my question. "I wouldn't like it." He said finally. "I wouldn't trust the guy not to make a move on her. And honestly, I'd be terrified that she would get old feelings back for him, and break up with me. I would be afraid of losing her."

"Would that cause you to become a jealous dick?" I asked.

He smiled slightly. "Yeah, probably. I think every guy becomes a jealous dick when it comes to the girl they love. I mean, you heard that quote. 'Jealousy is nothing more than a fear of abandonment.'" He said.

I took a deep breath and stood up. "Thanks Matt. Can I borrow your truck?" I asked.

"Can I ask why?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I need to go save a relationship."

*Damon*

"Ugh, go away."

Damon groaned, as the sun hit him. It didn't burn him, but it made his hangover a hell of a lot worse. Stefan had gone into his room and pulled open the curtains. If Damon wasn't hungover, he would've stabbed his brother.

"Wake up; we need to start planning on how to kill the tomb vampires. I don't like how quiet they're being right now." He said.

"Why do I care again?" Damon asked, putting his pillow over his face.

"Because Elena and Hailey are in serious danger. I thought that we've moved on from you pretending that you don't care about Hailey, but if we didn't, the tomb vampires want us dead too." Stefan told his brother.

Damon grunted, but felt his heart drop at the mention of Hailey. "Can't this wait until I'm completely sober?" he asked, hiding his reaction to the mention of his fairy.

"I saw you sneaking in that blonde last night. Where is she? Hopefully not in a ditch somewhere." Stefan said, ignoring his brother's earlier words.

"Back in her dorm. If you must know brother, we didn't do anything. I was too drunk." Damon sat up and stretched. He was shirtless, but he had his pants on.

"Mm hmm." Stefan said, not believing him. He left, leaving Damon by himself.

It was true, Damon brought the blonde from the bar home. But he didn't do anything, didn't even kiss her. All he could think about was Hailey. Even if he wasn't meant for relationships, he couldn't do that to her. His conscience- which sounded a lot like Elena- was on high in his head, telling him not to screw up what he had with Hailey, or he would regret it forever.

Damon put a shirt on, and grabbed his wallet and keys. He was going to win back Hailey, and he knew where to start.

*Hailey*

I walked up to the boarding house, trying to put an apology together in my head. I knocked on the door, at the same it opened to reveal Damon. He was holding a bouquet of sunflowers, and a bottle of bourbon, two of my favorite things.

He froze when he saw me, and I smiled slightly up at him. "Who are those for?" I asked, knowing very well that they were for me.

Damon looked down at the things in his hands, and then not-so ceremoniously shoved them into my arms. "I was hoping that these would soften you up, so that I could win you back." Damon said casually.

I grinned at him smugly. "Just say it, Damon." I was acting like a child.

He rolled his eyes, and I knew why he was having trouble, because I sucked at apologizing too. It wasn't like us, to admit that we were wrong. "I'm sorry. You're right. I'm wrong. I love you." He said, repeating the apology he used last night.

"I was looking for something more specific, but that'll do." I murmured, before stretching up to kiss him.

Damon tasted like alcohol, and I pulled away. I hoped that I wouldn't have to apologize now that he had. "Wait, why are you here?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

A saw something like fear flash in his eyes, and I knew for a second that Damon thought I came here to end us. I shook my head quickly, not wanting to say the words. He relaxed, while I sighed.

"I sort of, maybe, came here to apologize to you for freaking out over how; apparently, most guys would react if their girlfriend's exe wanted to hang out with them. We're normal, who knew?" I said, biting my lip.

Damon smirked at me, and said, "Just say it, Hailey."

I sighed, and mumbled, "I'm sorry. You're right. I'm wrong. I love you."

"I was looking for something more specific, but that'll do." Damon smirked at me. Then, he picked me up off of the ground, and kissed me.

We uncoordinatedly made it to the couch, my legs wrapped around his waist. I set my apology gifts on the table, so that we wouldn't ruin them. Then I straddled Damon's waist, as his hands crept up my shirt, towards my bra.

Suddenly, it disappeared, and I was off of Damon. I opened my eyes, and looked at him question. He looked guilty, and I felt my stomach sink.

"What did you do, Damon?" I asked, picturing Derek's body buried in a shallow grave.

Then Damon's old nature occurred to me, and I felt hurt and betrayal boil up inside of me. "More like, _who _did you do?" I muttered, feeling like I got punched in the stomach.

Damon's head snapped up to face me. "I didn't sleep with anyone, but I almost did." He told me quickly. I relaxed, glad that he didn't bang some bar skank, but it still stung that he thought about it.

"What stopped you?" I asked, pushing my bangs out of my face.

"My damn conscience, turns out I have one of those after all. It sounds a lot like Elena." He said.

I grinned. "Yours too?"

He looked at me, gaging my reaction. He saw that I wasn't mad, and relaxed. "It's probably because she's the most moral person that we know." Damon explained, as I crawled back onto his lap.

I wasn't angry that Damon almost cheated on me, just a little stung. I was glad that he didn't, and that he felt guilty about it. Plus, he had the balls to tell me about it. But, if he ever did cheat on me, I would kick his ass into the next century.

I kissed Damon softly, my hands unbuttoning his shirt. I was worried that Stefan or Elena might walk in on us, but I figured that we would move to Damon's bedroom fast enough. Besides, my two friends were the last thing on my mind, as Damon unbuttoned my jeans.

Suddenly, I heard the front door open at the same time Damon did, despite his super hearing. We both sprang away from each other before the intruder could really see anything, but anyone could draw the right conclusion from the smudged lipstick, unbuttoned clothes, and heavy breathing.

Stefan stared at us unbelievably, his eyes wide. He stared hard at his brother, as I awkwardly hooked my bra back on. After a moment's silence, Stefan casually said, "I'm not telling Elena," before he walked out of the house.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **I didn't have it in me, to have Damon cheat on Hailey. I don't know if some would consider it more in character, for him to bang the bar skank, but I think they've been through too much, and have too much ahead, for them to take that blow to their relationship. Besides, it would take a hell of a long time for Hailey to forgive him, maybe forever.

Thank you to: CassieSalvatore, Carrie9586, Kelsey, Samantha meyers, aireagle92, SomebodyWhoCares, jacquline, and vdemily for reviewing!

Be a dear, and review :)

~Abby!


	45. my stalker

**Chapter forty four**

**My stalker**

*Hailey*

I had a problem, and I didn't know how to fix it.

Stefan knew about Damon and me, and I knew that Elena might find out through him. And I wasn't ready for Elena to find out yet. I knew that Damon didn't really care who knew about us, but it mattered to me. So he pretended to care.

Friday had come around, and I had yet to talk to Stefan about Damon and me. I woke up alone in my bed. I felt strange, being alone without Damon. I think I was starting to become co-dependent.

I changed into jeans, a concert tee, my boots, and Damon's jacket- my usual uniform. I was exhausted, since I was all stressed out about Elena finding out about Damon and me. My phone had a shocking twenty two text messages, when I checked it. All from the same number- the stalker number.

My stomach tightened into a knot, as I read a few. I felt violated, reading them.

_You're beautiful when you sleep._

_Do you like getting screwed like a whore?_

_You don't know how much I love you._

_Do you like getting screwed by your vampire boyfriend? Do you let him drink your blood? You're a dirty slut._

_It hurts me when you're with him. You know that we're meant to be._

_You're such a tease! Teases deserve to be punished. You deserve to be punished._

_He can't have you, only I can._

_You're mine. If I can't have you, no one can._

The twisted part of me couldn't stop reading. The messages were a whole new level. It just went from being creepy to being terrifying. I stopped reading and threw my phone onto my bed. I felt the need to be with somebody, to be with Damon.

I called him on my landline. "Hello?" he said, sounding tired.

"Can you pick me up for school? I need to talk to you. Now." I said, and Damon could sense the urgency in my voice.

"Okay, I'll be there."

I could tell by his voice that he was confused, but five minutes later, Damon was lounging on my bed. I tossed him my phone, and he looked at me, still confused.

"Read the texts." I said, as I practically boarded up my windows.

Damon raised his eyebrows, but did as told. Thirty seconds later, he crushed my phone into a metal ball. "Now, I don't think that that was necessary." I said, sitting down next to him.

"He knows that I'm a vampire." Damon said, his voice calm, though his icy eyes were one of cold, hard, fury.

"Of course, it's Nicolai." I said, closing my eyes.

I felt weak, violated, and terrified. I didn't feel like me at all, and Damon could sense that. He pulled me to him, and I rested my head on his chest. "Don't worry Hailey; I'll take care of it." He soothed me.

I nodded, just as there was a knock on the door. "Hailey? Let's go." Elena said, her voice muffled by the door.

I looked at Damon, and then kissed him softly, before standing up. "Coming, Lena. I need to tell you something." I said, grabbing my backpack

I looked at Damon, and mouthed, "I love you," before walking to the door. When I looked back, he was gone. I walked out of my room, and smiled at Elena, though I felt sick. Elena picked up on my emotions, as we walked out of my house.

"What's' wrong, Hailey?" she asked, as we walked to her car. Stefan wasn't in it, it was just us.

"I've been getting some pretty creepy texts, Lena. They were about how that person loved me, but how I was a slut- I have a stalker. It's really scary, and I think that it's Nicolai." I blurted out.

Elena gaped. "Oh my god, what can we do?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I just want to be around people right now." I said.

Elena nodded. And we drove to school. She distracted me in the car ride by telling me about the latest misadventure of Lisa Michaels, the dumbest girl in our school. I made it to third period without thinking about my stresses, when Stefan walked up to me.

"We need to talk, Hailey." He told me.

I sighed. "Okay. We have ten minutes. Elena's with Caroline, talking about the masquerade tonight." I said, knowing what he wanted to talk about.

"You need to tell Elena about you and Damon, Hailey." Stefan said brashly.

"I know, but I know how it's going to end, Stefan. She's going to make me choose." I sighed.

"And you don't know who to choose?" he asked.

"No, I know exactly who I choose. I love Elena, she's like my sister, but I'm in love with Damon." I explained.

Stefan seemed surprised by my answer. "That's why he didn't sleep with that blonde." He whispered under his breath.

"Do you know what you're getting yourself into, Hailey? How do you know that he's over Katherine?" Stefan asked.

"Damon told me, and I believe him. He told me that he loves me, and I believe that too. I know most people believe that that's stupid, but I've never been the sharpest knife in the drawer." I said with a small smile.

"I've noticed changes in my brother. He's acting more human, whether he notices it or not. I knew that he always cared about you, I never thought that he was in love with you."

I smiled. "It was right after I almost died because of Victoria. He sprung it on me, and I didn't really believe him at first."

"You're good for him, Hailey. You make him feel, you bring out his humanity. I don't doubt that, and I'm happy about it. But what I do doubt is if Damon's good for you. He could hurt you Hailey- he could kill you. Damon is reckless and impulsive, if you set him off, he could kill you." Stefan said, and I frowned.

"Damon would never hurt me. In fact, if it weren't for him, I'd be a very dead fairy right now. Thanks for your concern, Stefan, but Damon is good for me. We're good for each other. He makes me feel safe, as ironic as that is. I love him, Stef, and he loves me too." I smiled.

Stefan smiled slightly back at me. "I just don't want you getting hurt."

"I don't want me getting hurt either." I said, just as I spotted Elena walking towards us.

"Tell Elena." Stefan said sternly.

"I'll think about it." I called over my shoulder, walking towards my next class.

I had a lot to think about.

_**~LMF~**_

It was five o'clock, and I was getting ready for the masquerade. I was a little nervous- I had to act like I wasn't in love with Damon, and I still had my stalker to worry about. I took a long shower, and then put on some sexy lingerie. I knew that Damon would like it for later. I laid out my dress, and put my makeup on in just my underwear. My window was covered so that no one could see in.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

I turned around and saw Damon on my bed. I then turned my attention back to my makeup. "You should really be getting ready, you know." I told him. As I started on my hair.

"I am ready." He said, sitting up. I stood up, and smirked at him, before redoing his tie.

"You would think that being a century and a half old vampire; you would know how to put on a tie." I said, before slipping into my dress.

"I have many different talents, miss Ellis." He wiggled his eyebrows, and I rolled my eyes playfully.

"Besides being a sex god, what are your other talents?" I asked; as I zipped myself up telekinetically.

"Well, I can cook, but you know that." He said, as he pulled me into his arms.

I smiled softly. "Did I ever tell you how sexy that is?" I breathed, smirking slightly, before kissing him.

His arms wrapped around me, and I leaned into him. I felt safe and blissful in Damon's arms, something I needed right now. I pulled away, since Elena would be picking me up soon. Damon frowned at me, as I pulled on his jacket.

"Am I ever going to get my jacket back?' he asked me.

I smirked. "No, but to be fair, I've lost a good amount of bras and panties at your house."

Damon pulled me back into his arms, and I'm sure that he still saw some anxiety in my green eyes. "Hailey, you'll be fine. I'll never let anything happened to you, I promise." He said, brushing a thumb across my cheek.

I smiled, and rested my head on his shoulder. "I know, I'll just feel better when this is all over." I murmured.

Damon kissed my forehead. "Elena's coming." He said, pulling away. "I love you." He whispered into my ear, as my door opened.

"Ready to go, Hailey?" Elena asked me.

I nodded, and looked around for Damon, but he was gone.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: HawthorneTree, SomebodyWhoCares, Angelfang, jacquline, and vdemily for reviewing!

Review! ~Abby ;)


	46. behind the mask

**Chapter forty five**

**Behind the mask**

*Hailey*

"I have a bad feeling," I told Elena, as I put my mask on, as Stefan parked the car.

"Like tomb vampires bad?" she asked, putting on her heels.

"Like… might not make it out alive, bad." I said finally, fixing my hair. "But it's probably nothing/" I added at their expressions.

"You should trust your instincts, Hailey." Stefan told me as we got out of the car. "You said before that all your visions used to be like that, you just had a feeling. For all we know, you could be having a vision."

Stefan and Elena instantly held hands, and I felt like the third wheel. We walked to entrance, as people walked, danced, and drank around us. Everyone was in masks. I spotted my mom just outside the entrance, and sighed.

"Hailey, I'm glad to see that you look presentable." My mom said stiffly as we walked up to her.

Elena dug her nails into my arm. I managed to choke out, "I always aim to please you, mom," while gritting my teeth in pain.

My mom narrowed her eyes at me, and then Stefan, Elena, and I walked into the party. "That wasn't helping me Elena," I told her, as I rubbed the claw marks on my arm.

"I just didn't want you to start anything with your mom," she said sheepishly.

"Trust me, that's the least of my worries tonight." I said, grabbing a glass of champagne from a passing waitress.

"I'm going to track down Damon," I said abruptly, earning a look from Stefan and a raised eyebrow from Elena.

"What? He's my drinking buddy." I said innocently, before walking away to go find him.

I got two glasses of bourbon from the bar, but I couldn't find Damon anywhere. I had already finished my drink, and was about to drink Damon's, when I felt an arm wrapped around my waist. A hand grabbed the drink from me, before my lips could touch it.

"Hey!" I said, leaning into Damon as he took a sip of the bourbon.

"If we're hiding from Elena, we're doing a pretty bad job of it." He commented, as he finished his drink.

Damon gestured to where Elena was, not too far away from us, talking to Caroline. I pulled away from him, and grabbed his hand. "Come on, I know where a closet is." I murmured with a smirk, tugging on his arm.

"No Hailey, I won't go into a closet with you." Damon said loudly, though not loud enough for Elena to overhear. I pushed Damon, and he smirked at me.

"You're terrible." I frowned, as I managed to pull him into a supply closet.

"I always thought that you loved that about Me." he smirked, before lifting me up onto a table, and kissing me.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, as Damon's hand got knotted up in my hair. He kissed my neck, as I unbuttoned his shirt quickly. Public sex, more like semi-public, was really kinky, even more Damon and me, but it made it hotter.

Damon hitched my leg up to his hip, and attached his lips to mine again. The kiss was hot, needy, and passionate, yet it had that soft, sweet, romantic undertone that all our kisses had had since we admitted our love for each other.

Damon pushed my curls out of my face, as he unzipped my dress. My lips felt swollen from all the kissing and I pulled away for air. Just then, there was a knock on the locked door, and I froze.

"Please, please, please don't be Elena." I muttered quietly, as Damon pulled away from me.

"Maybe if we're really quiet, they'll go away." I whispered hopefully to him.

"Hailey Anne Ellis, I know you're in there. Come. Out. Now."

Right after Elena, my mother was on the list of people who I did not want walking in on Damon and I. yet it was her voice that rang through the door, and I sighed. I hopped off of the table, and fixed my dress. Damon watched me, his shirt half opened and his hair messy.

I opened the door a crack, to see my mom looking pissed as hell. "I'm kind of busy right now, what?" I asked, annoyed.

"You will not go off into closet with random men, Hailey. You will _not _act like a slut at this party and embarrass me tonight." She snarled, glaring daggers at me.

I rolled my eyes at her. "I'm not sleeping around, mom. Besides, I have a boyfriend. I was just fixing my dress." I lied.

"Like hell," she spat. "I saw you drag some poor man into this closet.'

"Nice to see you again, Holly." Damon said suddenly, pushing the door open wider so that my mom could see him. My mom's eyes widened at the sight of him.

"I'm sorry, Hailey and I shouldn't of have been doing this at a party. Don't worry, we'll act like adults the rest of the party." He said, using his patronizing voice. Then he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the dance floor, my mom gaping after us.

We started swaying to the music, my arms around his neck, and his hands on my waist. Again, Damon seemed pissed off at my mom. I still found it adorable that my mother's treatment of me made him mad.

"I know a thing or two about having a parent who's made it very clear that you disappoint them." Damon said abruptly, as I rested my chin on his shoulder. "Stefan was always my father's favorite. It's ironic, how he killed him."

I raised an eyebrow. "Stefan killed your dad? Funny, he seems like the brother with the most self-control." I mused, as Damon spun us around.

"Well, then you haven't heard about Stefan's ripper days." He said, smirking slightly. "My brother doesn't know how to live on the edge. Either he's a ripper or he's eating bunnies. I, on the other hand, have the self-control to drink human blood and not go ripping out the throats of every human in sight."

"Except when you snap, then yeah, you have your shit together Damon." I smirked up at him.

"What do you mean? I don't snap." He argued.

"When you get really upset, you stop thinking and do something really stupid. Elena's told me a few stories, and you've told me more." I murmured into his shirt.

We danced in silence for a few minutes, until I asked abruptly, "Is it hard, controlling your blood lust?"

Damon shrugged. "In the beginning, it is. Everything's changing- your body, your senses, your personality. You learn to control it."

I paused. "Do you ever miss being human?" I whispered.

I expected Damon to say "Hell, no." but he didn't answer quickly. He took so long that I thought that he wasn't going to answer at all, but eventually he mumbled, "Mm hmm." Into my hair.

I frowned. "You don't like being a vampire?" I asked. It didn't sound too bad to me, and it was a very real possibility for my future.

Damon smirked slightly. "I'm an eternal stud, Hailey. What's not to love about that?"

I hit him playfully, and rolled my eyes. "It's the little things that make being a vampire bad." He continued, after he pulled me back into his arms. "Mostly, it's that your emotions are heightened. That's why I snap- though, I really don't think that I do. I feel everything a hundred times more than you do. That's why vampires turn off their humanity, why it's our instinct. Because feeling pain when you're human sucks. But when it's multiplied a hundred times, it can kill." He stopped and kissed my hair. "Feeling pain sucks ass, but feeling love-"he cut himself off again.

I smiled softly, and kissed Damon, not caring who saw. I pulled away when the song ended. "I should probably go find Elena." I said, unwillingly pulling away from Damon.

I mouthed, "I love you," as I walked away from him. I felt warm and fuzzy, and had a goofy grin on my lips. I went to get another drink, and straightened my mask as I did. My lipstick was really smudged from kissing Damon, and I did my best to try to fix it.

"Hailey?"

I turned around to see Derek in a mask. I smiled, though it was a little forced. I wouldn't lose Damon over him. "Hey Derek." I said, grabbing my drink. Derek walked closer to me, and I forced another smile.

"Can we talk? We never got the chance to catch up." He said his blonde hair messy.

I looked around for Damon, but he was nowhere to be seen. I shrugged inwardly; Derek and I were friends, after all. "Sure, why not?" I said. We walked down a hallway, away from all of the noise.

"So, how are you and Damon, Hails? Are you happy?" Derek asked.

I nodded a huge smile on my lips. "I love him." I said happily.

Derek frowned. "I don't think that you know him, Hails. Not really."

I frowned back. "I know Damon more than you do." I snapped.

He raised his eyebrows at me, but I didn't apologize. "I love him Derek, and Damon loves me too. Trust me." I said, as I finished my drink.

"But you don't love him nearly as much as me."

I raised my eyebrows at Derek's outburst. "What the hell are you talking about?" I said, as he stepped closer to me.

"Don't lie, Hailey. You've never gotten over me, because we're meant to be together. Remember how we made love? Remember how I made you scream?" he inched closer to me, and I backed up against a wall.

"I was fifteen, Derek, with nothing to compare you to. But trust me, you're not even in the same galaxy as Damon." I snapped.

Derek's eyes turned dark, and then he suddenly kissed me. I pushed him away immediately, and slapped him.

"What the hell?" I exclaimed.

Derek glared at me, his eyes filled with rage. "I told you Hailey, if I can't have you, no one can." He said.

And then it all went black.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: aireagle92, vdemily, colleenrawr, SomebodyWhoCares, Kelsey, jacquline, CassieSalvatore, AubreySalvatore, and Carrie9582 for reviewing!

Reviews, gracias!

~Abby :)


	47. always saving me

**Chapter forty six**

**Always saving me**

*Damon*

Damon scanned the party, looking for Hailey. He knew that she was with Elena, but he hadn't seen any sign of her since she left him. Just then he saw Stefan and Elena together, no Hailey with them. Damon walked up to them, despite the obvious dislike in Elena's brown eyes.

"Isn't Hailey with you?" he asked bluntly, imagining the worst in his head.

"She left to go find you almost an hour ago." Elena informed him.

Damon shook his head. "She left me about twenty minutes ago to go find you." He said.

"I haven't seen Hailey since we came here." Elena said, before comprehension slowly dawned on her face.

"Shit." Damon cursed, knowing what that meant. Someone had taken her. Again.

The problem was Damon didn't know if her taker was the tomb vampires or her stalker. "We can split up." Stefan offered, though there was a good chance that Hailey wasn't at the party anymore.

Elena ignored her boyfriend and glared at Damon. "How could you let this happen?" she snapped.

Damon rolled his eyes, but inside he felt as guilty as sin. "I'm not her keeper." He replied coolly, though he kept scanning the crowd over Elena's head.

Stefan watched his brother carefully. Only he knew that his brother's "Who the hell cares?" attitude was real.

"You know, you save Hailey from death a hundred times, but then you act like if she died, it makes no difference to you. Pick a side, Damon." Elena hissed, before walking off. Stefan followed her.

Damon took a deep breath, guilt washing over him in waves. He had to think. The tomb vampires would be the obvious choice, but he knew that Nicolai would find a way to stop it. Then he thought about the text messages, and the answer came to him.

Derek.

No matter what Hailey said about him, there was something that Damon didn't like about Derek. It wasn't jealousy- or complete jealousy- it was what he saw in Derek's eyes when he looked at Hailey.

It was obsession.

Damon walked up to a random waitress, who smiled seductively at him. Damon didn't pay her any attention. He just stared into her eyes. "Have you seen a girl, around seventeen, with black hair, bangs, and really bright green eyes? She has a tattoo on her wrist, a Chinese symbol." He compelled.

"Yes, ten minutes ago." She repeated in a zombie-like tone.

"Was she with a boy?"

"Yes, she called him 'Derek.'" The waitress answered.

Damon pulled away, and the waitress blinked, dazed. "What happened?" she asked.

Damon ignored her and walked away. He knew who to look for, and Damon would find him.

And When Damon found Derek; he was going to rip his heart out.

*Hailey*

I woke up with a killer headache. My arms and legs were tied to a chair, and I had a rag stuffed into my mouth, making me gag.

"She awakes." Derek announced, appearing in front of me. He looked twisted, holding a gun in one hand and a wooden stake in the other.

I tried cursing at him, but I couldn't with the rag in my mouth. He smirked at me, and started sharpening the stake. "It's your own fault, Hailey. If you would just stop lying to yourself, then none of this would be happening." Derek told me.

I ignored him, and tried undoing my restraints telekinetically, but I couldn't concentrate with the pounding in my head. "If I let you speak, will you be a good girl?" he asked condescendingly, and I glared at him.

Derek laughed. "You've never been a good girl, Hailey." He said, but pulled the rag out of my mouth.

"You sick, twisted fu-" Derek cut me off when he punched me in the face.

"Don't you talk that way to me, you little bitch!" he snarled, catching me off guard, as my cheek burned in pain.

"I'm so, so sorry, baby." Derek said instantly, and my eyes widened. He was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

"I'm doing this for you, you know. You have a choice, baby." Derek told me abruptly, sitting down on a small bed next to my chair. We were in a small bedroom.

"What choice?" I snapped, my head and cheek both pounding in unison.

"We can be together, like we were meant to be. It's that vampire, he's messed with your head. Don't worry about it, though, Hails. I'm going to take care of him, and then we're going to be together." Derek informed me.

I gave him a disgusted look. "Like you could take on a very pissed century and a half old vampire. Damon's going to snap your neck like a twig, and I won't even think about stopping him."

"Wait, you know?" Derek asked, bewildered.

"Of course I know." I snapped.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Of course you know, you little slut. You probably let him drink your blood, like a common whore." He said, before slapping me.

My cheek burned, and I gasped in pain. Derek instantly looked astonished. "I'm so sorry, baby." He apologized again.

"You're like fucking Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." I gasped out my earlier thought.

Derek kissed my lips softly, and I struggled to get away. "Don't fight it, baby." He whispered, as his hands slid up my dress.

"No!" I shouted, struggling so much, I caused the chair to fall over, and my head smacked against the floor.

Derek glared at me, going back to dark, twisted Derek. "You know, this is in case you choose that goddamn murderer over me, Hailey." He spat, picking up the gun.

I let out a shaky breath, the pounding in my head more intense than any hangover I had ever had. "Fine, kill me. But remember- Damon's going to kill you no matter what." I said calmly.

"Baby, I'll kill him before he'll even get the chance." Derek said confidently.

I laughed humorlessly. "Do you know anything about vampires? They're about a thousand times stronger and faster than you. You don't stand a chance." I said, smirking despite my aching pain.

"We'll just have to see about that." Derek said, before pulling my chair up. His hands instantly went for my chest. Derek's touch was rough, hard, and inexperienced. Plus, it just plain hurt. It also felt wrong, that they weren't Damon's hands.

I managed to loosen my legs out of the rope, and kicked Derek away from me. "Damon! Damon!" I started screaming.

Derek punched me in the mouth, and I started to bleed. It hurt like hell, but I knew that Damon could smell my blood. I started to laugh hysterically, slightly crazy at that point. Derek stared at me like I was insane. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"You're gonna die." I whispered, tasting my own blood.

Just then, the door flew into the room. Damon appeared in the doorway, looking angrier than I had ever seen him in my life. Derek ran to get his stake. He held it up, but Damon ripped his heart out of his chest like it was nothing. Derek's body fell to the floor, and Damon dropped his heart next to it.

Damon snapped the thick ropes binding me to the chair, and pulled me to him tightly. I buried my face into his chest, my head and face still aching. "If you say 'I told you so,' I'll hit you." I mumbled into his shirt.

Damon just pulled away enough to kiss me on my swollen lips. When he pulled away, we both looked at Derek's body. "You aren't mad that I killed him?" Damon asked me, keeping me close to him.

"Please, I promised him death. If you didn't kill him, I would've." I said, rubbing my temples. A new pain had joined my aching ones. It wasn't like the pain I had gotten from Derek hitting me, it was similar to the ones I get when I had a vision. But it was different too. I felt nauseous, and just wanted to go home.

"Can we leave? I'm so tired." I said, rubbing my arms. I was freezing.

Damon nodded, and silently handed me his jacket. I slipped it on, as he pulled the sheet from the bed, and wrapped Derek's body in it. "What are you going to do with it?" I asked.

"I'll take care of it. Let's just get you home." He said.

The nausea and strange headache only got worse on the car ride home. It was silent, but I didn't mind. I was exhausted. We got back to the boarding house, and I walked straight up to Damon's room. Damon went to call Stefan and give him an update, and take care of Derek's body.

I got changed into one of Damon's shirts, and then washed my face. I put my hair up, before crawling into Damon's bed, and waited for him to come back. I wouldn't be able to fall asleep by myself for days.

I heard a noise near the door, and stiffened. It was probably just my vampire boyfriend. "Damon?" I asked, sitting up. I looked at the door, and froze in shock. There was a man there, but that man wasn't Damon. He had dark hair and very familiar eyes.

"Dad?"

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **is Hailey seeing ghosts now, or has she officially gone crazy?

Thank you to: vdemily, SomebodyWhoCares, jacquline, Samantha meyers, KimmyWSmith, and Kelsey for reviewing!

Reviews = yay!

~Abby ;)


	48. we all have our ghosts

**Chapter forty seven**

**We all have our ghosts**

William Ellis the third -known as Will- grew up with Grayson Gilbert. They were best friends, and Will was Grayson's best man when he married Miranda Somers. Grayson repaid the favor when Will married Holly Cassidy, despite his best friend's objections. Holly and Will had a child three years later, Hailey Anne Ellis. She looked just like her father, and was his heart. Hailey in turn, was daddy's little girl.

On April seventh, 2008, Will was driving to go pick up his daughter from a party. Hailey was rebel, but at least she was smart enough not to drink and drive. But then Will swerved into a wall and died instantly.

Many people thought that Will killed himself. But despite the problems with his marriage, Will would never leave his daughter willingly. The truth, that only he knew, was that Will was killed by the ghost of Victoria Ellis, who was just finishing what she started.

Funny, how Victoria forgot to mention that when she was trying to kill his daughter.

*Hailey*

The image of my father haunted me the rest of the night. I was quiet and distant, but Damon thought that I was just shaken up over the whole Derek debacle. I was sure that I was crazy, that my powers had finally driven me crazy. I saw my dead father, my very _dead _father.

Finally, I was done with faking sleep, and got up around six A.M. I walked down the stairs, to the kitchen, and got myself a bowl of cereal. I was afraid that I would see something that wasn't there, so I kept my eyes firmly on my Captain Crunch.

"Hailey, what's wrong?" I heard Damon ask me, as he walked into the kitchen.

I looked up at him, and gasped with shock and pain. The feeling of death engulfed me. I saw innumerable people- spirits- swirl around Damon, like a twisted aura.

Then I blinked and it was gone.

"What?" Damon asked, instantly at my side.

"I'm going insane." I muttered, keeping my eyes tightly shut so that I couldn't see the ghosts of Damon's victims.

"Going?" he teased, but instantly sobered up when he saw how serious I was.

"I saw my dad last night." I admitted bluntly. "And I swear, I just saw all these ghosts surrounding you- the ghosts of all the people you've killed."

I finally opened my eyes, to see Damon staring at me, taking in my words. "I didn't know that seeing ghosts was a fairy superpower." He said finally.

"Superpowers are cool, that was awful." I said, taking a shaky breath.

Damon wrapped his arms around me comfortingly. "Are you sure that it's not your mind playing tricks on you?" he asked, as I rested my head on his chest.

I looked up at him, wanting him to be right. "You don't believe in ghosts?"

"Just because vampire, witches, doppelgangers, and fairies exist, doesn't mean that aliens do." Damon said.

I nodded, hugging him tighter. "You saw your first human die last night- it's different than watching vampires die. I think that you're just emotionally scarred for life, not turning into the ghost whisperer." He smirked slightly.

"Well, as long as I'm scarred for _life…" _I joked back, fooling myself into believing his words for the moment. But deep down, I knew that I wasn't imagining the ghosts.

I pulled away from Damon, and exhaled loudly. "I'm going to go see Elena," I informed him, needing a distraction in the form of my best friend.

After I changed clothes, I drove to Elena's house, despite it being seven in the morning. I unlocked the house using the spare key, and walked into it. I found Elena in the kitchen, in her pajamas eating toast.

"Are you okay, Hailey?" she asked anxiously when she saw me.

I nodded, and stole a piece of toast from her. "Just peachy." I lied.

"Where did you stay last night?" she asked as we sat down at the table.

"The boarding house- on the couch." I added when I saw the look she gave me.

"Are you sure that you're not still into Damon, Hailey?" Elena asked, and I sighed.

"Course not. I told you a million times that it was just a fling." I lied through my teeth.

I should've told Elena about Damon and I a long time ago, but now wasn't the time. I hated lying to her, but not enough to tell her the truth. I also didn't tell Elena about seeing ghosts. I figured that if I talked about the ghosts, I would jinx it and start seeing them again.

I stood up and walked to the coffee maker, and poured myself a cup. Just as I was taking a big gulp, I noticed two figures in the corner watching us.

Grayson and Miranda Gilbert.

I choked on the coffee, the hot liquid burning my mouth and throat. I put down my cup and started walking towards the door. I knew at that moment, that I wasn't imagining the ghosts. Elena stared at me in alarm as I bolted towards the door.

"Hailey-?" she asked, standing up.

"I need to go." I said, my heart pounding. She was unaware that I had just seen her dead parents.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sounding concerned.

"I can't Elena, okay? I can't tell you." I exclaimed, before running out of her house, my best friend gaping after me.

As soon as I got to my house, I called Damon on the landline. He answered on the second ring. _"Hailey?"_ he said.

"I'm not crazy, Damon. I see ghosts. I just saw Elena's dead parents." I said, pacing in my room.

"_Okay, maybe you're not insane."_ He admitted.

"You know what I have to do know, right?" I asked, sighing.

"_Ignore this and hope it goes away?"_ Damon asked hopefully.

"I have to contact Bella." I said firmly. Damon burst out laughing.

"_Please tell me you're not serious."_ Damon said after I didn't laugh too.

"Bella is the original fairy of my blood line, she'd know how to deal with this." I insisted.

"_Hailey, the last time you contacted one of your fairy tribe members, we both almost died."_ Damon argued.

"Bella will be different. Besides, I won't let her get into my body. I need to figure this out. Who knows what ghosts want me dead? I can think of two right now." I argued.

Damon groaned. _"Just be careful, Hailey." _He said softly.

"I love you." I told him.

"_I love you too."_

I hung up on him, and then looked to Ellie, who was lounging on my bed. "Am I making a mistake, contacting Bella, Elle?" I asked her, hoping she would give me some guidance.

Ellie meowed once, and I sighed. "You suck at being my familiar." I told my cat.

I took a deep breath, and then sat down in the middle of the floor. I closed my eyes and concentrated my thoughts on Bella. I pictured me, but in really old timey clothes. Suddenly, I felt an entity in my room, and my eyes popped open.

I expected to see me, like with Victoria. but the young woman looking curiously around my room didn't look at me at all. she was willowy, with wavy brown hair and blue/gray eyes. she was pretty, but not what I expected.

"Uh, hi?" I said, as the woman who I doubted was Bella smiled slightly at me.

"Hello, Hailey." She said cheerfully.

"Um, who are you?" I asked bluntly, not thinking that I might be offending the ghost in front of me. but she just grinned at me.

"Gemma, the original fairy." she informed me.

Gemma, the water fairy. my eyebrows furrowed. "No offense, but I was trying to reach Bella." I told her.

Gemma wasn't bothered by my words. "Yes, I know you wanted my sister. It is amazing, the spell really did work…" Gemma stared at me.

"Yeah, well why isn't she here?" I asked, a little impatient.

"… it is complicated, Hailey. Let us just say for the sake of time, that Bella is tied up at the moment. I heard your message, and chose to come in replacement of her. Besides, I noticed that you have a ghost problem, and I have the most experience with them out of all my siblings." Gemma said, absentmindedly smoothing down her dress.

I couldn't help but notice the huge blood stain on the front of the dress. She smiled slightly when she caught me noticing. "Yes, the witch who killed me wasn't too gentle with that forsaken knife."

I decided that Gemma was good enough, and cleared my throat. "I need to know why I'm seeing ghosts and how I can stop it."

"Well, it is quite simple, Hailey." Gemma said, walking closer to me. "You see, when my siblings and I were born, we all had basic powers. But as Adora discovered, you could expand them." She said her sister's name bitterly.

"What did Adora do?" I asked curiously.

Gemma shook her head. "My family's history is long and painful. I wish not to go into it right now."

"Fine, as you were saying?" I pushed.

"Yes, Fairies can expand their powers. That is how a lot of them went, as your generation says, nuts. They dove too deep into the darkness that hides under our light. But there are different ways to expand your powers besides digging deeper into your magic. a lot of those ways occur accidently, like with you." Gemma informed me.

"You came out of the in-between by yourself, Hailey. That is not an easy task. And then you witnessed the death of a human. Those two experiences caused you to be able to see the dead." Gemma said, and I exhaled loudly.

Gemma looked at me sympathetically. "Is there any way to reverse it, so that I don't have to see ghosts?" I asked.

"I believe you have the ring, the one that stops young fairies from reaching the darker parts of our magic. if you never take that ring off, you will never see spirits again." Gemma informed me.

I nodded, knowing that the ring was in a bush outside of the boarding house. "Thanks, Gemma. I kind of expected you to try to kill me like Victoria." I admitted.

"Yes, I am aware that Victoria has made questionable decisions because of her questionable beliefs. What she has yet to realize is that all races- even humans- can be evil. It is our decisions that decide if we are good or bad, not what we are born." She said.

"Am I going to go crazy like Victoria?" I blurted out suddenly.

Gemma sighed. "Too much power can drive a person mad, Hailey. If you do not go digging into the darkness in search of more power, you will be safe. It may seem like an easy task, but for some fairies, the temptation is too great."

"Thanks, Gemma, for everything." I said, ready to stop all of this ghost-seeing shit.

"Wait, Hailey." Gemma said suddenly. "I hear that you have captured the heart of a vampire."

I froze, ready to hear her tell me what a soulless monster Damon was. and I was just starting to like the chick.

As if reading my thoughts, Gemma quickly said, "It is witches who are judging toward fellow supernaturals, not fairies. we have always been on good terms with vampires, despite them hunting us down for our blood.

"I just wish to warn you that being the keeper of a vampire's heart is not always wise, nor is having a vampire keep yours. Be careful Hailey. I speak more out of witnessing a romance between a fairy and a vampire go wrong, than out of it happening to me. but I do know that vampires are not very stable when it comes to their emotions. And fairies tend to be impulsive. If one wrong word is said, I fear that something terrible might just happen." Gemma finished.

I nodded, remembering that Stefan had said something similar to me yesterday. "Good luck, Hailey. Your troubles are far from over." Gemma said, before disappearing from my room.

I took a deep breath, and held out my hand. I pictured my ring in my mind, and a minute later, it appeared in my palm. I bit my lip, knowing what I should do. But I couldn't pass up the chance to see him one last time.

I put my ring down on my bed, and then closed my eyes. "We need to talk." I said clearly into my silent room. I opened my eyes a few minutes later, but I was alone.

"I missed you, Hailey." Somebody said suddenly from behind me, their voice cracking.

I turned around, and gaped at the man I never got to say goodbye to. He was still in the clothes he died in.

"I missed you too, daddy."

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **I am so freaking excited for the ball on TVD tonight!

Thank you to: Samantha meyers, HeadHuntress18, AubreySalvatore, vdemily, Carrie9586, kat, CassieSalvatore, SomebodyWhoCares, HawthorneTree, Kelsey, and aireagle92 for reviewing!

Reviews are inspiring ;)

~Abby!


	49. moving on

**Chapter forty eight**

**Moving on**

*Hailey*

My father smiled sadly at me, and I tried not to cry at the sight of him. "Don't cry, Hails." He said, walking closer to me.

I wiped my eyes and took a deep breath. I smiled shakily at him, and tried to hug my dad. But my hands went right through him. "I should've of expected that." I muttered, as my dad smiled apologetically at me.

"How are things, Hailey?" he asked, as I sat down on my bed.

"They could be better." I answered, feeling as if this was unreal. I was having a conversation with my dead father.

"Yeah pumpkin, you've got yourself in a real mess." He told me, and I smiled sarcastically at him.

"Let me guess, you want to talk to me about it?" I asked bitterly, and being a complete smartass. But my father wouldn't expect anything less from me.

"I want to talk about whatever you want to talk about, Hailey. I haven't talked to my favorite daughter in two years; I don't care what we talk about." My dad said easily.

"I'm your only daughter and your only child." I said, frowning at me.

My dad smirked slightly back at me. "That makes you my favorite my default." He teased.

I smiled slightly, and then frowned. "Did you know that I'm a fairy? I mean, you gave me this ring." I blurted out, gesturing to the ring on my bed.

Dad took a deep breath and looked uncomfortable. "It was a part of the stories passed down when I was a kid, Hailey. For our family, the legends didn't stop with vampires and witches. There were a few stories your grandfather used to tell me about fairies. He told me that every blood born Ellis girl in our family was a fairy, but how the men where carriers. Honestly, I thought that all those stories were bullshit. But when I turned eighteen and found out what actually happened at council meetings, I started to question what was bullshit and what was real." He smirked at me, and I suddenly figured out where I got my attitude.

"I didn't completely believe the whole fairy story- it seemed too outrageous- but when you were born, I knew what my dad would've said if he was still alive." Dad sighed again. "I remember when you were eight. You predicted that Elena would break her arms minutes before it happened. That's when I started thinking that maybe the stories weren't complete bullshit, and that I should take precautions. So, I gave you the ring that my dad always said would help a fairy control her powers. I didn't think that it would hurt to be careful. So to answer your question, yes and no." my dad told me.

I nodded, not being able to meet his eyes. I started playing with a loose string on my shirt. "Aren't you going to ask how I really died, Hailey?" dad asked quietly.

I flinched, suddenly remembering that he was, in fact, dead. I shook my head fiercely. "No, I don't." I said in a cold tone. I didn't want to know if he killed himself, if it was an accident, or if he was murdered. All that counted was that he was dead.

He nodded. "Fair enough." He said, walking closer to me. "But can I ask you a question, Hails?"

I looked up, a little surprised. But I nodded. "Sure, anything." I agreed.

"Are you ever going to tell me about your vampire?" my dad asked with a raised eyebrow.

I sighed. "Why does everybody call Damon 'my vampire?'?" I mumbled.

"Because he's yours, Hailey. He belongs to you. Whether either of you want to admit it, he's your vampire and you're his fairy." my dad muttered the last part bitterly.

I raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't going to mention Damon, because I figured since you were a council member that you'd be rather prejudice against vampires." I said coolly.

"Touché." He grinned, before sobering. "When I first found out that my daughter was in love with a vampire, I was less than thrilled. But I trust him with you. I know that Damon Salvatore would die for you, because he almost has before. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be careful, Hailey. You need to watch your mouth, because he is very capable of killing you in an instant. You should never forget that."

I nodded, knowing that I needed to learn how to think before I spoke. "Tell me what you're thinking, Hails. I know you've been thinking about your future with your vampire." My dad said knowingly.

I frowned at him. "Do ghosts know everything?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

My dad chuckled. "There's not much to do when you're dead, except to spy on the living." He admitted.

I half smiled, before answering his question. "I'm willing to change into a vampire, if that's what I have to do to be with Damon forever." I said honestly.

"What about your mother? Your friends?" my dad argued, playing devil's advocate.

I snorted. "Leaving mom behind is the least of my worries." I said, earning a look. "I'd miss my friends, and especially Elena- well, let's not goes there."

"Right, she doesn't even know that you're in love with the other Salvatore." Dad said, and I bit my lip.

"Let's not go there." I repeated more sharply. My dad raised his hands in surrender.

"Fine, Hails. We won't go there." He said, and I gave him an apologetic look.

I took a deep breath, and realized that I was out of things that I needed to say to my dad. "Don't rush into the whole vampire thing, Hailey. There's much more darkness to it than books and movies would lead you to believe." He said quietly, and I smiled slightly up at him.

"When you're in love Dad, you don't care what you have to do to be with that person, as long as you can be with them." I told him.

He smiled nostalgically. "I remember what it felt like, to be so young and in love." He said softly, before looking at me again.

"Are heaven and hell real?" I asked abruptly, not being able to help myself.

"I wouldn't know, Hailey. I'm stuck in between the two, in limbo, as you call it. I haven't been able to move on, not knowing if you were okay. But now I know. You're just fine, Hailey. You've grown up, you're in love, and you're just fine without Me." he smiled placidly. "I can move on."

I frowned, suddenly very alert on what he meant by "moving on." Dad's smile grew bigger, and he began to glow. "Dad, no!" I exclaimed, not wanting him to leave.

The light didn't stop; in fact, it grew brighter, enveloping his entire body. Suddenly, he burst the light swallowing up my room. I covered my face, and when the light went away, I looked around to find myself alone.

"Dad," I sobbed, tears falling down my cheeks. "Daddy, please come back. Please!"

But my dad was gone. He moved on.

I shook at the force of my sobs. I struggled to get my ring on my finger. I managed to, and suddenly felt my excess power taken from me. I ignored the loss of energy. It didn't matter, since I would never be able to see my dad again.

I didn't know how I was able to get to the boarding house in the dark, at night, by myself, and sobbing, but I did. I pounded on the door, shaking. Damon opened it, and stared at me, alarmed.

"Hailey, what's wrong? What happened?" he asked, as I walked shakily into the house.

Damon followed me into his living room, as I struggled not to cry. "He's gone." I mumbled, wiping my eyes using my wet sleeve.

"Who's gone?" Damon asked, pushing my hair out of my wet and swollen face.

"M-my dad." I stuttered, struggling to contain my sobs. "He m-moved on and I can never see him again."

Damon had no idea what I was talking about, but he still pulled me into his arms and held me, as I sobbed into his chest, ruining his shirt. I pulled away slightly, knowing what a mess I looked like.

Damon kept frowning, as if it physically hurt him, to see me in such pain. "I'm so sorry, Hailey." He murmured, pulling me back into his arms.

He kissed my forehead, as I rested my head on his shoulder. I hugged him tightly, glad that I had him, even if I didn't have my dad. "I love you." I whispered, closing my eyes.

Both of us were so wrapped up in my tears, that we didn't even notice Elena at the top of the stairs, who had seen everything.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: vdemily, Samantha meyers, colleenrawr, SomebodyWhoCares, and Ravenator for reviewing!

Reviews are my inspiration :)

~Abby!


	50. the dinner date

**Chapter forty nine**

**The dinner date**

*Hailey*

I felt empty, hollow, like a ghost.

The week following my dad moving on flew by, but I didn't remember most of it. Every day, I did the same thing. I got up- with difficulty- got dressed, went to school, went home, balled my eyes out, and then cried myself to sleep.

It was like my dad died all over again. I felt numb and hollow. I wasn't the same bubbly, loud, sarcastic Hailey. That scared my friends- who had no idea that my dad had left me once again- and it terrified Damon.

At first, he let me cry it out. But after a few days, he tried to get me to talk, to do anything besides lying in my bed all day. He had yet to succeed. Elena had been ignoring me since Saturday, though she had heard through the grapevine that I was a wreck over my dad. She hadn't even texted me.

I didn't have enough energy to wonder why, though. Not even enough to ask Stefan. I figured that she wanted to give me space, which, ironically, wasn't what I wanted. I knew that Damon was trying to distract me, to get me back to normal. But what I really needed was my best friend, who got me through my dad's death the first time.

It was Friday night, and I was in bed watching old _Friends _reruns. It was my dad's favorite show. I had cried myself dry, and was shaking with silent sobs that hurt your chest. Ellie was curled up on my stomach, and I hugged her to me.

Just then, my new cellphone vibrated. I sluggishly read the text message, and saw that it was from Damon. _You need to come over. Now._

I sighed. I didn't feel like moving from my warm, safe bed. _I don't feel like it…_

I got a response less than a minute later. _It wasn't a question, Miss Ellis. I was telling you to get your ass over to my house now, or I'll be forced to come get you myself. And you don't want me to do that._

I groaned, annoyed at Damon. But I knew that he meant business, and would come get me if he had to. I unwillingly got out of bed, and padded into my bathroom. I was in my pajamas, and my eyes were red and bloodshot. My face was puffy, and my hair looked like a disgusting mess.

I managed to get the energy to take a shower, but I skipped the makeup and put my wet hair into a messy bun. I changed into a pair of gray sweatpants and very old, faded Pixies concert tee that my dad got for me and a concert he went to.

I stole my mom's car keys, and drove to Damon's house. I was already missing the safe sanctuary that my bed provided. When I got to the boarding house, I knocked once, before walking right in.

"What's so damn important, Damon? What do you want?" I asked, as I took of my jacket, and closed the door.

I heard music coming from the kitchen, along with an amazing smell. I followed them, as my stomach rumbled. The music grew louder as I got closer to the kitchen. When I walked into the kitchen, I saw a sight that I had seen only a few times before.

Damon Salvatore cooking.

"'Wise men say only fools rush in,

But I can't help falling in love with you,

Shall I stay would it be a sin?

But I can't help falling in love with you.'" He sang along with the radio, as he made chicken fettuccine with broccoli- my favorite. Damon smiled when he saw me. He was chopping up broccoli, and set his knife down, before tossing a dishrag over his shoulder.

"'Because I can't help falling in love with you.'" He sang, as he pulled me to him, and started spinning us around slowly around the kitchen.

I struggled, but Damon was stronger than me, and I eventually gave in. I allowed him to sway us around the room, and I rested my head on his shoulders and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"You made me dinner?" I mumbled, touched his unexpected kindness.

"One of my many talents." He remarked, kissing the top of my head.

"You're listening to Elvis?"

"He is the king of rock and roll, Hailey." He said, as if I dared to say a thing against Elvis.

"I would never have pegged you for a fan of Elvis." I admitted, closing my eyes. For the first time since my dad disappeared in my room, that hollowness that was eating me alive, was slowly leaving me.

"One of the many surprising things about me, Hails." Damon said dryly.

I flinched at the nickname, and Damon frowned. I stiffened in his arms, and he slowly realized that he had screwed up.

"Hailey-" he sighed, and I pulled out of his arms, my eyes burning with tears that threatened to boil over.

"It was a nice thought Damon, but I just can't right now." I mumbled, walking away from him.

Damon appeared in front of me suddenly, grabbing my shoulders so that I couldn't run away. "Hailey, do you really think that your dad would've wanted you to be like this? You're like a zombie. It's been a week. You're going to call me an insensitive dick, but it's time to move on." He said a little harshly.

I glared at him. "I can't just 'move on' from my dad's death, Damon. Unlike you, I was actually close with my father." I snapped.

My words had no effect on him. "He's been dead for two years, Hailey. It's not like you're new to not seeing him every day." he said, and I flinched.

"Just let me go home, Damon." I mumbled.

Damon frowned at me, but let me go. He walked back into the kitchen to tend to the food. "You know that I'm right, Hailey. You can't spend the rest of your life acting like a zombie. So you can go home and mope, or you can stay and have dinner with me. Your choice." He said, before disappearing into the kitchen.

I stared at where he disappeared, and sighed. He was right, I couldn't act like this forever. I imagined what dad would say if he were here. He'd tell me to go thank the man who simply refused to give up on me, and pray that he never would.

I walked up to Damon, and wrapped my arms around his waist. "I love you." I mumbled into his back, before I let go and sat down at the table.

Twenty minutes later, Damon set down a plate of food in front of me. I was actually smiling, and that hollowness was almost completely gone. His dinner date plan was working. I took a bite, and felt my taste buds die and go to heaven. "You should definitely cook for me more often." I said, as I took a sip of my drink.

"You're going to have to earn that." Damon smirked, sitting down next to me.

I smirked back, but then frowned slightly. "Why'd you learn to cook if you don't have to eat?" I asked curiously.

Damon shrugged. "When you live forever, things get boring. Some vampires get a thousand degrees, I learned how to cook."

I smiled slightly, as I devoured my plate of food. Suddenly, a random question blurted from my lips. I remembered Victoria trying to piss off Damon by saying it to him, and I wondered if it was true.

"Do I make you feel human, Damon?"

His blue eyes widened slightly. "Where'd that come from?" he asked.

I shrugged, and waited for him to answer. It took him so long, that I thought that he wasn't going to until he said quietly, "I haven't felt as human as I do when I'm with you since I was human."

I knew by the tone of his voice that it was hard for him to admit that I brought out his humanity. "I don't know if that's good or not." He added suddenly. "Humanity is a vampire's greatest weakness. You're my greatest weakness."

Damon said it as if he just realized it, but I had known that for a while. "I've always been your greatest weakness, Damon." I told him.

He stared at me, as I pushed my empty plate away. "Yeah, my love for you is my greatest weakness, and the fact that I allowed that to change me just shows how weak I've become." he said bitterly, and I frowned at him.

"I don't expect you to change for me, Damon." I said quietly. I felt like this conversation had turned very serious very fast.

"I already have, Hailey," he said, sounding resigned. "Sometimes, I worry that I'm not who you need me to be."

My eyes widened at his revealed fear. I gave him a meaningful look. "I don't expect you to become some goody two shoes for me, Damon. I don't need you to be that. And yes, you did change, and excuse me for sounding cheesy, love changed you. Love is a weakness, but it's a strength too."

I stood up and put my dirty plate in the sink. Our talk about Damon's humanity had riled me up. Damon stood up and pulled me into a kiss, as if he could kiss all of our problems away. I kissed him back, before pulling away.

"Did you really let a girl ruin your relationship with Stefan?" I blurted out.

"What, is this 'talk about all of Damon's problems' night?" he asked, sounding irritated.

"Didn't you get the memo? It's right after 'fix Hailey's dead daddy issues' dinner." I said sarcastically.

He sighed, and poured himself a glass of bourbon. "Yeah, I guess I did."

"Well, that's pretty stupid of you." I said bluntly, as I hopped up on the counter.

"It's not too different from the fact that you're lying to Elena about us because you know that'll it be the end of your friendship when she finds out." Damon countered.

I frowned. "I love you, it's different."

"And I thought that I loved Katherine." He said, and I followed him into the living room.

"So you don't care about Stefan anymore? You've basically disowned him as your brother?" I pushed.

Damon snorted. "Stefan and I haven't acted like brothers since 1864." He said evasively.

"You didn't answer my question, Damon. Because you know that you still love him as your brother. And no matter how many times you two have threatened to kill each other, you could never do it. So how about the both of you grow up and try to fix your relationship." I said.

"Gee, thanks for the advice Dr. Phil." He said sarcastically.

I smirked at him, as he sat down in a chair, and I perched on the arm. "But since you brought up Elena, she's acting weird, avoiding me. Very un-Elena-like." I said, as I stole his drink.

Suddenly, it occurred to me. "She knows."

Damon frowned at me as I stood up. "What?"

"Elena knows about us!" I exclaimed, realizing that I was screwed.

"That's not good." He said, his eyes slightly wide.

"No, it's not." I said, starting to pace the room.

"Hailey, relax." Damon said, suddenly appearing in front of me.

"I need to talk to her," I muttered, looking up at Damon. He looked concerned, since we both knew what I was about to face.

I kissed him quickly. "I'll call you later. Pray that Elena doesn't murder me." I said, before running out of the door.

"Good luck." Damon called, frowning slightly.

He knew that Hailey was willing to end her friendship with Elena for him, but he didn't like the pain that would cause her if she did. Suddenly, Stefan walked in through the front door, causing Damon to think about Hailey's earlier words.

He had a lot of thinking to do.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: Samantha meyers, OBSESSEDwithPOWERS, Kelsey,

SomebodyWhoCares, CassieSalvatore, jacquline, and Kimmy W. Smith for reviewing!


	51. the beginning and the end

**Chapter fifty**

**The beginning and the end**

*Damon*

Stefan watched his brother, waiting for Damon to say something, but he didn't. Damon just poured himself another glass of bourbon, and stared into the fire in the fireplace.

"Did you know that Elena knows about me and Hailey?" he finally asked, after a moment of silence.

"She's been acting strange this week, but didn't mention it at all." Stefan said honestly, though he had suspected that his girlfriend had finally learned the truth.

"Why would you care if Elena knew?" Stefan asked suddenly, curious.

Damon still wasn't looking at him. "I don't. But she's like Hailey's sister, and I don't want to be the reason she loses her. Though, we all know that I will be."

"If you don't want to be the reason Hailey loses Elena, why don't you break up with her?" Stefan pushed.

Damon finally looked at his brother, an eyebrow raised. "Is this what you're trying to do? Find out if I really love Hailey?" he didn't sound angry, only slightly amused.

"I already know that you love Hailey, maybe even before you knew it yourself." Stefan said evenly, his arms crossed over his chest.

There was another pause, and Stefan said, "Hailey's good for you, no matter how ironic that is. You've changed because of, and in a good way. I'm happy that you've moved on from Katherine. But just because Hailey's good for you, doesn't make you good for her." Damon sighed, knowing what he was getting at. It was his own thoughts and fears.

"I've try so hard not to be selfish with Hailey. But I know that no matter how I hard I try; I'll always be selfish because I can't let her go. Trust me brother, I know I'm not good for Hailey. It's a miracle that she's even with me, after what I put her through. But I know that even if I was selfless enough to let her go, she'd never let me do it." Damon smiled a sarcastic smile with a hint of self-loathing. "Or at least, that's what I tell myself when I worry about how I may or may not be ruining her life."

"Do you think that Hailey would be better off without you?" Stefan asked bluntly.

The self-loathing, sarcastic smile came back. "Oh, I know she would. But, like I've been saying, I'm too selfish to let her go."

Damon paused and raised an eyebrow at his little brother. "Do you think that Elena would be better off without you, brother?"

Stefan smiled the same self-loathing, sarcastic smile as Damon had. "Oh, I know she would. But I'm too selfish to let her go."

Damon smirked slightly, and then there was silence between the two brothers. But it wasn't awkward, angry, or bitter. Suddenly, Damon left the room to go to his room, leaving Stefan confused.

Damon stared at the picture of Hailey on his nightstand in deep thought. Suddenly, he realized that she was right. As much as Damon hated it- and he hated it _a lot_ - he still loved his little brother. And no matter how many times he threatened it, he would never be able to kill him. Damon groaned and smashed a chair against a wall in frustration.

He hated it when Hailey was right.

*Hailey*

I drove to Elena's quickly, thinking about what I would say to her. I had nothing. The only way I could justify lying to her, is that I knew that she was going to make me choose between her and Damon, and I would pick Damon. I thought that that would hurt more than help.

I knocked hesitantly on the front door, and Jenna answered. "Wow, I haven't seen you in decades, Hailey." She said.

I smiled at her, but it felt forced. "Well, you should take a break from grad school every now and then." I said.

She laughed, and told me that Elena was in her room, and I walked up the stairs. Hesitantly, I knocked on her bedroom door, taking a deep breath. Elena opened the door, and didn't look too happy to see me.

"Lena, please-"I said, as she turned her back on me and walked into her room. I followed her.

"Hailey, you lied to me! Again! I even asked you if you still had feelings for Damon, and you said no!" she exclaimed, glaring at me.

I hung my head, feeling guilty. "I know," I said, as Elena continued to glare at me with something that she had never directed at me- hatred. I felt like she punched me in the stomach, but I deserved it.

"I saw you too," she whispered, her brown hair falling in her face. "Not only was Damon the first person you ran to when you needed somebody, but you told him that you loved him. You're in _love _with Damon, and you never told me. I can't even tell you how much that hurts." She shouted.

I narrowed my eyes at her. There was a perfectly reasonable explanation why I didn't tell her. "I didn't tell you because you would just go on and on about how Damon's just using me, and how stupid I am to believe that he could actually like me, let alone love me. You'd go on about how he's in with Katherine, how he's evil, how there's no good in him, blah, blah, blah. Well, I hate to break it to you, Elena, but those are all wrong. Damon isn't using me, he loves me, he doesn't love Katherine, he isn't evil, and there are redeeming qualities to Damon." I took a deep breath before continuing.

"You just have to look deep enough Elena. You need to see that everything Damon's done in the past century was because he was hurting. Damon's brave, and he'll die for the people that he loves. He'd die for me, and though he'd never admit it, he'd die for Stefan too.

"I'm sorry that I lied Elena, but I don't regret what I lied for. I am madly in love with Damon, and I just did what I had to do to be with him. I know that you don't like him Lena, and I'm not asking you to become best friends with him. I just want you to tolerate him, for me. Damon and I are pretty close to being the same person, Elena, and we're best friends." I said. There was a hint of pleading in my voice, because we both knew what would happen if she couldn't accept Damon.

Elena rolled her eyes, still pissed at me. "You're not nearly as bad as he is," she argued.

"Well, Damon's been through an extra century of shit, Elena. You used to tell me that everybody has a reason for why they act. It doesn't always justify their actions, but it at least explains them," I said, needing her to accept Damon.

"Hailey, you're too good for him. He's going to hurt you," Elena said with the same need I did.

"Maybe he is, Elena. I know that he already has, but that's what love is. I'm afraid of getting hurt again, Elena. Trust me, I am. But I love Damon too much not to risk it. I love him, Elena," I repeated.

I smiled slightly, as I remembered Matt's speech to me about Caroline. "Yes, Damon's made mistakes- lots of them- but we've all made mistakes. And when you love somebody, you see past their mistakes and see the good in them. I love Damon, and if you love me, you'll learn to put up with him, for my sake." Then I took a deep breath, my heart breaking at what I was about to say.

"I don't want to have to choose between the two of you, but if I have to, I choose Damon."

Elena looked like I punched her. "You're really willing to throw away seventeen years of friendship for him, Hailey?" she asked quietly.

"If it was the other way around Elena, you would choose Stefan," I said, my eyes burning with tears.

"I see. Well, then I guess you choose Damon," she said, turning her back on me.

I looked at her, tears running down my cheeks. She really couldn't accept Damon? For me?

"You threw away seventeen years of friendship, Elena, not me. Remember that." I told her, before bolting from her room.

Jenna looked shocked at my tears as I ran down the stairs. She was about to talk to me, but I ran past her to my mom's car. I cried the entire drive home, feeling heartbroken. Elena and I had been best friends since birth. That was all over now.

I walked into my house and up to my room like a zombie. My mom had a date in the living room. She wasn't too happy to see me, but I ignored her and her creepy date who was old enough to be my father, yet his gaze was glued to my chest.

I fell backwards onto my bed, feeling just as bad as I had when I was in it hours ago. Sluggishly, I pulled a scrapbook out from under my bed. There were tons of pictures of Elena and I in it. From when we were babies and wore matching outfits, to middle school when I had braces. The feeling of loss increased as I flipped from picture to picture, remembering each memory as if it had just happened.

Suddenly, I kicked the scrapbook off of my bed, and grabbed my cellphone. _"Hailey?" _Damon asked, after I called him.

"I need to get out of here, Damon," I sobbed, breaking down.

"_Hailey," _he said softly. _"What happened?"_

"S-she couldn't get over the fact that I love you, and made me choose. She's not my friend anymore, Damon. I need to get out of here. Please, get me out of this stupid town," I repeated, tears rolling down my cheeks.

"_I'll be there in ten minutes," _he told me, before hanging up.

I quickly packed a bag, and then texted Matt to take care of Ellie. I didn't know how long I would be gone. I wiped my eyes, and then walked out of my room, and down the stairs. My mom and her creepy date were gone, so I didn't have to deal with them.

I locked the door, and took a deep breath to calm myself down. When I turned around, Damon was leaning against his Camaro, watching me sadly. I couldn't stop the tears that fell, as I ran to him, and buried my face into his chest. I was very, very sad to lose Elena, but at least I still had him. I could live with just having Damon forever.

*Elena*

Elena wiped the fallen tears off of her cheeks, as she called Stefan. She knew that she had signed the contract to end her and Hailey's friendship, but Hailey was the one who wrote it.

Elena truly believed that Hailey was making a mistake, and that she was going to regret loving Damon and Elena was very self-righteous. Stefan suddenly appeared in her room, and he wrapped Elena in his arms.

"It's for the best. She lied to me too many times," she mumbled into his chest.

You know that you don't believe that, Elena," Stefan told her.

Elena looked up at her boyfriend, and something suddenly clicked in her head. "You knew…" she said, pulling away.

"Elena, it would've been worse if I told you. Hailey should've told you, she just never got the chance," he said reasonably.

Elena knew that he was right, and let her anger go and the pain of losing her best friend in. Elena cried into her boyfriend's shirt, unaware that Hailey was doing the same thing miles away.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: jacquline, SomebodyWhoCares, Angelfang, Samantha meyers, HawthorneTree, CassieSalvatore, KimmyWSmith, Kelsey, and colleenrawr for reviewing!

Review, pretty please :)

~Abby ;)


	52. bite me

**Chapter fifty one**

**Bite me**

*Hailey*

My body felt cramped and sore, as I woke up in the passenger seat of Damon's car. My eyes felt dry, and I felt like I had a head cold. I opened my eyes, and groaned.

"About time, sleepy head," Damon said casually, as the wind blew wildly around us. He had the top down on his Camaro. It was sunny outside, and seemed like the perfect day.

The sun hurt my eyes, and I covered them, as I tried to stretch my sore muscles. "How long did I sleep?" I mumbled, still waking up.

"Well, you stopped crying around Maryland. Then you moved passed phase two and three of breaking up- denial and anger- about half way to Pennsylvania. You finished guilt when we got there, moved back to crying when we stopped to get food, and finally conked out half an hour later. You've been asleep for about four hours." He said, and I yawned.

"Where are we going?" I asked, slightly embarrassed about crying in front of Damon for the long. I knew that I should've been over it, since it seemed like I was crying every other time we were together, but I would never get used to crying in front of people.

"Atlantic City. We should be to our hotel in about twenty minutes," he replied.

I raised my eyebrows. "Why Atlantic City?"

Damon shrugged. "It's closer than Vegas, and I want to see if I can get your superpowers to help me gamble."

I laughed, and Damon looked pleased to hear that sound. After a moment's silence, I grabbed the hand he wasn't using to drive and squeezed it. "Thank you," I said quietly. I needed this; I needed to get out of Mystic Falls and away from all the stress and drama.

He squeezed my hand back, and kissed my forehead softly. "I aim to please," he said when he pulled away.

There was comfortable silence the rest of the ride. I tried to calm myself down and relax. Being with Damon and away from memories of Elena and I helped a lot. Damon pulled into a large parking lot for a hotel and casino. We got out of the car and went to check in.

Damon kept his arm around my shoulders the entire time we waited in line to check in. I knew that he was waiting for the next phase, but I thought that with Damon and Atlantic City to distract me, I'd be okay for a while.

Damon checked us into our room, and the desk lady shamelessly flirted with him in front of me. Damon raised his eyebrows at me, when her pen exploded, black ink covering her face and shirt.

"I love it when you get jealous," Damon whispered into my ear, as we walked away from the desk lady, who was upset about how the ink would stain her skin.

I smirked up at him. "Says the man that ripped my ex-boyfriend's heart out," I retorted.

Damon shrugged, not at all ashamed. "He had it coming."

I laughed as we got into the elevator to get to our room. We were alone, so I took the chance and kissed Damon passionately, dropping my bag on the floor and wrapping my arms around his neck.

Damon pulled away when the elevator reached our floor. He smirked at me as I tried to catch my breath. "I should kidnap you more often," he mused, as he grabbed my bag for me and we left the elevator.

I smirked up at him, as an elderly couple took our place in the elevator. They gave us nostalgic looks, no doubt seeing themselves in us young people. They were unaware that Damon was twice their age.

We walked into our room, which was about the size of two of my bedrooms combined. It was a fancy room, and the bed was huge. The room had a great view, too. I smiled big, as I jumped on the bed, and stretched out across it.

Damon chuckled, as he started to unpack his things. I just stayed on the bed that was made of hopes and dreams. "How long are we going to be here?" I asked contently.

"As long as you want," he said his back to me. I smiled slightly, and closed my eyes. We'd be here forever, if it was up to me.

There was more silence, which Damon broke by asking a question he knew that I didn't want to answer. "What happened, Hailey?"

I frowned and opened my eyes. I flipped onto my side, and stared out of the big window. "The view's amazing," I said, completely ignoring his question.

"Hailey," he sighed. "Just tell me."

I sat up and looked at Damon. His icy eyes were soft. He gave me a soft look that was reserved only for me. I sighed and looked away. "Don't you know already?" I asked.

"All I got out of the crying was that Elena couldn't accept that we're together. I'd like some more details, if I could get them," he said, leaning against a wall.

I sighed again, but gave in to him. "She got pissed because I lied to her- which she has every right to be pissed about- but then she said that she would've accepted it, which she wouldn't of have. So then we got into a fight about you, and it ended with me choosing you, and Elena basically saying goodbye."

It hurt, remembering the fight, but it was Damon who was frozen. I looked at him, and his eyes were unreadable, but I knew that he felt guilty, though he'd never admit it. I stood up and walked over to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist, but Damon remained stiff.

"It's not your fault, Damon, it's mine. I lied too many times to her, and if I just told her the truth, it would've ended differently. But I don't regret choosing you over Elena. I love you, and I'll manage without her, but I wouldn't be able to manage over you." I smiled sadly at him, but there was still a glint of self-loathing in his eyes.

Damon sighed, but didn't pull away from me. "Sometimes, I wish that I was selfless enough to let you go," he mumbled, just loud enough for me to hear.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Well, you would find that impossible to do, Damon. I'm a bitch to get rid of," I smiled, though it was forced. I didn't like what I was hearing from him.

Damon still looked like he was on the topic of "letting Hailey go for her own good," so I kissed him, hard. Then I pulled away just as fast, and slapped him across the face.

"You ever leave me for such a stupid reason as 'for my own good,' I'll kick your ass. And that's a promise. I hate to compare us to _Twilight, _but when Edward left Bella for her own good, it didn't end too well. Who knows? I just might fall for a half-naked werewolf." I smiled, though I was scared at the idea of Damon leaving me.

Damon sighed and looked down at me. "Don't worry Hailey, I'm a selfish person," he said. And then he kissed me to distract us both.

The kissing got hot and heavy. Damon kissed my neck, as I unbuttoned his shirt. We fell backwards onto the bed, Damon on top of me. His hands went under my shirt, and I managed to get his off entirely.

Damon's lips traveled from my neck to my lips, and I moaned softly against them. My shirt came off, and his hands began working on my jeans. Just then, an idea came to me. It was something that I had been secretly considering for a while, and now seemed like the right time to execute it.

"Bit me," I murmured against his lips, stretching my neck so that he could get easy access.

"What?" he asked, pulling away. He looked like he thought that he heard me wrong.

"Bite me," I repeated, craning my neck. Damon gave me an 'are you crazy?' look, and got off of me. I frowned at his reaction.

"No," he said, and I sat up.

"Why not?" I asked, a little stung at the rejection.

"Why would you want me to bite you?" he retorted. "It's not like you haven't been bitten before. It's not like I haven't bitten you before."

I glared at him. "Because I know that it would be different this time, and I trust you not to kill me."

Damon gave me a look like I was the first person to tell him that- which I probably was- but then he shook his head. "I'm not biting you, Hailey." He said like it was final.

"So, you'll bite random bar skanks, but not me?" I said, pissed and hurt.

Damon gave me a look like he couldn't believe me. "Because I'm not worried about killing random bar skanks."

I stood up, just in my bra and jeans, and glared at him. "I trust you, Damon. I want you to bite me. What's the problem? Last time I checked, my blood's desired by vampires."

Damon rolled his eyes at me. "The problem is that if I don't stop, I'll kill you. And I'm not willing to risk that," he said.

I frowned at him, but the hurt went away at his explanation. "I trust you," in repeated, walking up to him and resting my hand on his cheek.

Damon seemed to be looking for something in my eyes. But it took him so long, that I decided to give up. I sighed, and started to pull my hand away and bit into it.

It wasn't like the other time I was bitten. It had hurt because the vampire that had bit me dug their fangs into my skin. Damon immediately pulled his teeth away once he broke the skin. It hurt at first, and I gasped in pain. But then it went away, and it actually felt good after a while. I moaned, and Damon pulled me closer to him, and pushed me onto the bed.

He dropped my bleeding wrist, and then left bloody kisses all over my body. I took a deep breath, turned on by the biting. Damon kissed me on the lips gently, before biting into my neck. The pain was more intense, but the pleasure was stronger. I moaned louder, and wrapped my legs around his waist. Damon unhooked my bra, still feeding from me.

I thought that sex with Damon was great before, but when you added biting into it, it was amazing. I was right to trust Damon, and to let bite me. But mostly, Damon biting me provided a distraction that both of us needed.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: CassieSalvatore and jacquline for reviewing!

I love reviews!

~Abby ;)


	53. Atlantic City

**Chapter fifty two**

**Atlantic City**

*Hailey*

I felt the sun on my face, and I slowly opened my eyes, sleep still fogging up my mind. My entire body felt sore, especially my neck. I groaned softly, and I realized then that Damon and I were tied up like a human knot.

His arms were wrapped around my naked body, and his face was buried in my neck. I had one leg around his waist, one hand in his hair, and an arm around his neck. I shifted my body, and smiled softly at his sleeping body. Then I noticed what was all over the sheets, our bodies, and Damon's face especially.

Blood. My blood.

Last night came back to me, and I smiled smugly when I remembered that I had gotten what I had wanted for a while. Damon biting me, it had hurt in the beginning, but then it was all pleasure. I was right to trust him too, he didn't kill me.

A small voice in my head told me that if Elena found out that I let Damon bite me, she would kill him. But if anything, the fact that Elena wouldn't approve made me like the biting even more. I let Elena drift from my mind, as I pulled away from Damon, careful not to wake him up. I managed not to, then got out of bed and walked to the huge bathroom naked.

I looked into the full length mirror to see the physical damage. I was humming softly to myself, and pulled my long hair into a loose bun on top of my head. I was covered in dried blood, and there were smeared bloody kisses all over my neck, face, shoulders, and stomach. I felt lightheaded, and knew that it was because I lost a lot of blood.

I stretched my sore neck to see three bite marks. They were a little red, but not nearly as bad as some other bites I had had. Damon had been as gentle as he can be. I had a bite mark on my wrist, two on my stomach, three on my shoulders, two on my inner thighs, and one on my boob. I started to think that Damon bit me just to bite me.

I felt closer to Damon since he had bit me, and knew that this was for the best, that letting him bite me was a good idea. I had a big smile on my face, as I put on Damon's shirt, but it only hid some of the blood and bites.

I stretched again, and tiptoed back into the bedroom to get my phone. Damon was still asleep. I had a few texts, but none from Elena. I felt like I had swallowed a thousand rocks, and felt the sex euphoria disappear from me, as I looked at my wallpaper.

It was a picture of Elena and I. we looked happy and were the best of friends. I quickly changed my wallpaper, and deleted the picture. The guilt and pain was still there, and I struggled not to let them in. I took a deep breath, and put my phone away.

I was debating whether or not to wake Damon up, when the door opened and a middle aged woman pushing a maid cart came into the room. "Room service," she said, turning to look at me. She gasped when she saw that I was covered in blood. I just stared, frozen, at her.

"Wait!" I shouted at her, as she turned her cart around and started running out of the room.

Suddenly, Damon was in front of her, and he shut the door. He was just in his boxers, his hair was a mess, and blood was all over him. The maid looked petrified and was shaking. Damon leaned in, and I saw his eyes dilate.

"Forget what you saw. You were never here," he said, and she repeated what he said in a zombie-like tone, before leaving.

Damon looked at me when she left, and took in the blood and bites. I plopped down on the bed, and realized that we had ruined the blankets and sheets with my blood. Damon appeared in front of me, and tilted my chin to the side so that he could see my neck better. He touched a bite mark gently, and I saw a look of guilt pass through his eyes, as he dropped his hand. He had a look on his face that read, "Did I do that?"

"Hey," I said, grabbing his face so that he would look at me. "It didn't hurt that much. Really, I liked it."

I kissed him softly, but had to pull away because of how light headed I felt. "Ugh, I feel like I'm going to pass out," I groaned, closing my eyes.

"That's why you never tell a vampire to bite you harder," Damon smirked, apparently over drinking my blood.

I glared at him, as he bit his wrist and offered me his blood. I took it without a thought- vampire blood tasted pretty good, as morbid as it sounded.

He pulled his wrist away, and I got off of our bed and walked to the bathroom. "I'm gonna take a shower," I said, and then smirked at him. "You can join me, if you want."

Damon followed me into the bathroom without another word.

_**~LMF~**_

"So, I should probably tell you that we came to Atlantic City for another reason," Damon said, as I stole some of his fries.

We were at an outdoor restaurant, eating lunch. Damon's food had arrived but mine hadn't, so I was stealing his food, because I actually needed it. "What would that be?" I asked, taking a sip of my coke.

The look on Damon's face told me that he knew that I wouldn't like what I was about to hear. "I was thinking about the tomb vampires, and I think that the best way to end this would be to get a witch," he said, and I frowned.

"Well, I don't know about that. Witches hate vampires and fairies, which we happen to be," I said, stirring my drink with my straw.

"No, most witches are judgy bitches. I know one here who isn't," Damon said, as my food finally arrived.

"So, we came here to see a witch you know?" I asked, having a bad feeling about this witch.

Damon looked uncomfortable, and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Please tell me that she's not an exe, Damon," I said, not liking that he was still in contact with an ex-girlfriend.

"I haven't seen Molly in almost ten years, Hailey. Besides, our relationship was just sex," he told me, before realizing that he put his foot in his mouth.

"Did you place a huge bet against yourself in this fight?" I asked, glaring at him.

"Hailey, she can help us. I can promise you, Molly means nothing to me. She was just a blood bag with magical powers," Damon assured me.

I bit my lip, sighed, and then nodded. I knew that we could use all the help that we could get. "If witch slut makes a move on you, I'll kill her," I told him, stealing more of his fries.

He smirked at my jealousy, and I kicked him. "Again, you killed my ex-boyfriend," I said to remind him that he was worse than me.

Damon shrugged, as he stole my onion rings. "When are we supposed to meet her?" I asked, as we finally traded food.

"She bartends at a bar a few blocks away. I told her that we'd show up sometime today," he said.

"She knows that you have a girlfriend, right?" I asked.

Damon smirked. "Yes, I told her about you."

"Does she know that I'm a fairy and can kick her ass if she gets any ideas?" I asked innocently.

"I told her that you have superpowers," he said, before adding, "Hailey, if you don't want to do this, we can find another witch. There isn't a shortage of them."

I sighed. "No, let's just do this. I'll try to tone down my bitchiness."

We finished eating, and then started walking down the street to Molly's bar. Damon had his arm around my shoulders, and mine was around his waist. He knew that I didn't like what we were about to do, but appreciated that I trusted him and his plan. Damon opened the door for me, and I walked into the small, square bar. It was empty, except for a young bartender who I prayed wasn't Molly.

I pictured Molly as a middle aged, chubby, wrinkly, ugly whore. But the girl who looked at us, squealed, and ran over to Damon was a young, skinny, smooth skinned, hot whore. Molly had dark blonde ringlets and big blue eyes. She seemed naïve, but there was an edge in her eyes that made it clear that she was anything but.

"Damon!" she squealed, hugging him. Damon pried her off of him, as I gave her the death glare. She looked at me and smiled, though it was as fake as my mom's boobs.

"You must be Hailey," she said, and I stared at her offered hand, before shaking it.

"In the flesh," I said, dropping her hand quickly.

She checked me out quickly, and I just so happened to flip my hair so that she could see the bite marks on my neck. A dark look passed through her eyes, before she turned around and gestured for us to follow her to the bar.

"Do, you were telling me on the phone that you want me to help you take out some vampires?" Molly said, as she pulled out an old looking book from behind the counter.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing to the book.

"A witch's cookbook," Damon explained, and I gave him a confused look.

"A Grimoire," Molly explained. "It's passed down generation to generation of witches, and full of spells from each generation."

"Exactly, a cookbook," Damon said, as he pulled a bottle of whiskey out and poured three glasses.

"I think that there's a spell that I can do from here that'll get the job done. It'll kill any vampire within Mystic Falls," Molly said, flipping through the book.

"I'll have to call Stefan," Damon muttered, and I smirked to myself. He did care about Stefan.

"As long as he's out of the town boundaries, he'll be fine," Molly told Damon.

I took the glass Damon handed to me, and started to drink it. As Molly was flipping through her book, she was flirting shamelessly with Damon, and if looks could kill, she'd be dead on the ground.

"How've you been, Damon? You look good," she said, biting her lip which she probably thought was sexy.

She was completely ignoring me and I fought the urge to kiss Damon right then and there, to make it clear to that little skank that he was mine. Molly wasn't over Damon- that was very obvious. The way she eyed him, bit her lip, and stuck out her chest, made it clear that she was lusting after him.

Damon gave her a weirded out look, and eyed me, sensing that I was about to hurt our witch. He grabbed my hand, and intertwined our fingers. "I've been good, Molly," he said as he played with my ring.

She smiled, but frowned at our joined hands. "That's good," she said through slightly gritted teeth.

She continued looking for the spell, when it looked like something just occurred to her. "Did you ever manage to get that tomb open, Damon?" she asked sweetly.

I stiffened visibly, as I remembered that the reason Damon opened the tomb was to get Katherine back. It was also why we were in this mess in the first place. Damon looked out of the corner of his eye at me. "Yeah, I did," he said with an edge in his voice.

Molly ignored the edge. "Well, then where is she?" by the way she said her name, Molly didn't like Katherine, but she hated me more because it was obvious that I was the one Damon loved.

"It's complicated," I said bluntly for Damon, staring at her, daring at her to talk about Katherine some more.

Molly took the hint, and there was more silence. A few minutes later, she stopped at a spell. "There we go!" she said as she looked it over. "Yeah, this will do it."

Molly looked to Damon. "I'll need you to go get some things for the spell," she told him.

Damon raised an eyebrow at her. "And go to one of those witch stores where I'll get a stake sent through my heart by a witch or man-witch? No thank you."

"Damon, witches and warlocks here are much more liberal when it comes to vampires. I wouldn't ask you to go if you were in any danger," Molly assured him, before eying me. "But I'm afraid that fairies are another story. She'll have to stay here."

Damon looked at me, as Molly wrote him a list. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. How did she know that I was a fairy? Damon didn't tell her. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to," he whispered to me.

I looked at Molly and then back to Damon. "I'll be fine," I assured him.

He raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

I nodded, and kissed Damon softly, making sure that Molly saw. Damon smirked at me when I pulled away. I shrugged, and mouthed, "I love you," as he grabbed Molly's list and left.

I smiled smugly, and turned to face sweet, innocent Molly. Only she didn't look so sweet and innocent anymore. "I know that fairies aren't exactly the brightest crayons in the box, but I never thought that one would be stupid enough to date a vampire- let alone Damon Salvatore," she said casually, not looking up from her cookbook.

I raised an eyebrow, feeling anger boil in the pit of my stomach. "How did you know that I was a fairy?" I asked.

Molly snorted. "Please, if that hunk of rock on your finger didn't give it away, your energy would've. Your arrogance doesn't help either."

I smirked at her. "I guess that there's a reason 'witch,' and 'bitch' rhyme," I said, as I drank the rest of my whiskey, and poured myself more.

Molly looked sharply at me, and I smirked back. She sighed, and closed her book loudly. "Listen you arrogant little bitch," she said, walking around the bar to me. "Let me tell you two things about Damon Salvatore. One, he's madly and passionately in love with Katherine Pierce. Two, he always will be.

"Don't get me wrong, Damon loves his toys. But like all men and children alike, his toys never last long. He either gets bored with them, or he breaks them. I mean this to be nice, Hailey. Get out while you can. I know, he's hot. He's dark and sexy and mysterious and has the whole 'bad boy' vibe down perfectly. Plus, he's really great in bed. But if you don't get out now, you never will. Trust me, I was a luck one."

I glared at her. "Hate to break it to you sweetheart, but he does love me- not Katherine. _You _may have been his toy, but Damon doesn't have to seduce me to sleep with him. See this?" I brushed my hair to the side and showed her some of the bite marks. "He didn't want to bite me, but I practically begged him to."

Molly glared at me, and I gave her a "bring it, bitch" look. "If you're so sure that Damon's team Katherine, why have you been throwing yourself at him?" I asked.

Molly gave me a slow, lazy smirk and walked closer to me. "Damon Salvatore is like a drug. You get addicted despite how terrible he is for you. Some get off of him, but you can still take a hit every now and then without getting addicted again. And you and your dumb belief that he actually loves you is getting in the way of me getting a hit," she told me.

I glared at her. "You want proof? I'll give you some damn proof, bitch," I called Damon on my cellphone, and put it on speaker.

"_Please tell me that you didn't kill Molly,"_ he said when he picked up.

"No, not yet. I just wanted to call and tell you that I love you," I said sweetly.

Damon chuckled. _"You're doing this just to piss off Molly, aren't you?" _he asked.

"No! Can't a fairy call her vampire and tell him that she loves him without there being some ulterior motive behind it?" I asked, smirking.

"_Not when the fairy threatened to kill her vampire's ex-witch about five times today," _he retorted.

I rolled my eyes. He knew me too well. _"But I love you anyway," _he added, and I smirked victoriously.

"I love you too," I said, as Molly's eyes went wide.

"_I'll be back soon,"_ Damon said, before hanging up.

I looked at Molly and smirked. "See, I told you-" but at that moment, I couldn't breathe.

Molly was muttering an incantation, her eyes glued to me. I tried to breathe, but I couldn't. I clutched my throat, as she continued to suffocate me. I felt very dizzy, and was terrified. She was going to kill me.

Suddenly, Molly's blue eyes went wide and the incantation stopped, and she fell to the ground.

I gasped for air, my heart pounding. I looked down at Molly, and noticed a gaping hole where her heart should be. "I hate witches- judgy little things, they are."

I looked up to see Zane holding Molly's heart in his hand, looking very smug with himself.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **just out of curiosity, I was wondering what your guy's favorite chapter was so far? A random question, I know, but I was curious.

Thank you to: Ravenator, jill, OBSESSEDwithPOWERS, Kelsey, SomebodyWhoCares, jacquline, colleenrawr, Carrie9586, CassieSalvatore, and vdemily for reviewing!

I love reviews!

~Abby :)


	54. going home

**Chapter fifty three**

**Going home**

*Hailey*

I stared at Zane and backed slowly away from him. The last time I saw him, he was ready to kill me. Zane noticed what I was doing, and dropped Molly's heart onto the floor. He sighed. "I'm no good at apologies Hailey, but Julia says if I don't apologize, she leave me. So… I'm sorry that I almost killed you. I hope that saving you now cancels that out."

I frowned at him. He sounded sincere, and it would seem obvious that he had no plans to kill me, but what if he just wanted me for himself? As if reading my mind, Zane said, "If I killed you, your vampire would hunt me down for the rest of eternity, and I don't care for hiding. Besides, Julia has taken a fancy to you, and I would never risk losing her."

I sighed, and then nodded. "I accept your apology," I told him.

Zane grinned, just as Julia walked into the bar. She beamed at me, and I smiled back at the vampire who saved my life. Then she looked down at Molly's body and gave Zane a dirty look. "Was this really necessary?" she asked warily.

"Love, the witch was going to kill Hailey," he defended himself.

Julia looked at me, and I nodded to confirm his story. She looked back at Zane and frowned at him. "Did you apologize to Hailey?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes, love," he said, sounding like a six year old getting scolded.

Julia looked back at me for confirmation. "He did, and I forgave him," I told her, still breathing hard.

"Good for you, I would've punched him," she said, glaring at her mate.

He smiled a "you know you love me" smile- one Damon had given me on similar occasions- and then pulled her to him. Julia struggled, but eventually gave in. he kissed the side of her head, and she rolled her eyes playfully.

I smiled slightly- I hoped that that was Damon and I in fifteen years, and in three hundred years. Even when one of us screws up, the other can't stay mad for long because we love each other for so long.

Julia, still in Zane's arms, looked at me and said, "This isn't some random run in, Hailey."

I raised an eyebrow. "Did you follow us here?"

She shrugged. "If that's what you want to call it."

I raised my eyebrows and put a hand on my hip. "Why did you stalk us here?" I was glad that they did, because I would be very dead if they hadn't.

"We came here to offer our assistance," Zane said, resting his chin on Julia's head.

"For what?" I asked, smiling knowingly.

"To help you and your friends kill the tomb vampires," Julia said.

"Why?" I asked.

"One, they're annoying as hell, going all territorial on Mystic Falls," Julia said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, they were all 'join or die,'" Zane said.

"Two, we picked the 'or die' part, so we need to kill them before they kill us," Julia said.

"And lastly, we feel bad for almost killing you, so we thought that we could make up for it by adding more numbers to your army," Zane finished.

I considered their offer. It was a good offer- I trusted Julia and knew that Zane wouldn't try anything, and we could use all the help that we could get. But Damon wouldn't like it at all.

"What the hell happened here?"

I looked up at Damon when he suddenly appeared at my side. He looked at Molly's dead body, and then at Julia and Zane. "Damon, no!" I exclaimed, using all my strength and body weight to hold him back.

He glared daggers at the two vampires, and Zane stood protectively in front of Julia. "Why is Molly dead, Hailey?" he asked me through gritted teeth.

"She was going to kill your human," Zane said, bracing himself for Damon's attack.

Damon looked down at me in shock. "I should really learn how to watch my mouth," I said sheepishly, not moving from in front of him.

"It's going to get you killed soon," Damon said, relaxing. I could see the guilt in his eyes. It was his idea to see Molly, so in his eyes, it was his fault that I almost died.

I moved to his side, and gripped his hand. We'd talk about Molly later. "Zane killed Molly to save me, and then Julia showed up. They want to help us kill the tomb vamps," I told him, already knowing his answer.

"Hell no."

"We can help you," Julia insisted.

"We don't need your help," Damon snapped, before dragging me towards the door.

"Just give us a moment," I told them, before letting Damon pull me outside. It was night, but the streets were mostly empty.

"We need as much help as we can get, Damon," I told him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"We don't need help that much," Damon muttered stubbornly.

"Damon, we drove to Atlantic City to see your ex-witch slut who was still very much into you- we're desperate," I said, giving him a look.

"They almost killed you, Hailey! I don't want their help," Damon insisted.

"But they didn't! And they apologized! Damon, the tomb vamps are after them too, they won't double cross us," I insisted.

"No, but if it comes down to us or them, they'll pick themselves!" Damon said, glaring slightly.

"So would we, Damon! We're on the same side, why not work together? There's no way you, me, and Stefan are going to be able to take on all the tomb vampires- and that's even if you don't lock me in a closet. We need their help, Damon. But more importantly, they need our help."

Damon stared at me for a few seconds, before sighing. "If they double cross us Hailey, 'I'm going to be really pissed at you," he said finally.

I smiled victoriously, and then stuck my head inside the bar. "Welcome to Team Awesome," I told them.

'If you double cross us, I'll rip your hearts out," Damon called over my head.

"Same goes for you," Zane said back.

"We'll go back to Mystic Falls and keep an eye on things," Julia said to me.

I nodded, and then Zane wrapped up Molly's body and hefted it over his shoulder. "We'll take care of the body, too," he told us.

After they left, Damon and I walked back to our hotel. It was silent the entire walk, until we were in the elevator. "We have to go back, don't we?" I asked quietly.

He looked down at me. "You know we will," he said, as the elevator stopped on our floor.

"I don't want to!" I whined. "I can't face her yet, Damon!"

"Hailey, we can stay here as long as you want, but you'll know that we'll go back soon. It's not in you to hide," he said, as he unlocked our hotel room.

"I don't know, I think that I'm okay with hiding out here," I said, as I walked into our room.

I took off my jacket, when suddenly I felt like someone was jabbing at my brain with a white hot curling iron. Damon caught me before I crumpled to the ground. I gasped in pain, and clutched my head. I was having a vision, and we both knew it. I just held on tight to Damon, until it fully came to me.

_In a graveyard, there was complete chaos. Mathew Lockwood screamed and shouted, as he was held down by tomb vampires. They sunk their teeth into his neck before he completely stopped moving._

_Loud feminine screams filled the air, as Elena was caught by a couple of tomb vampires. Stefan was held down and forced to watch, as they drained Elena of life. Stefan continued to scream, even after she stopped moving, her big brown eyes staring up blankly._

I felt tears roll down my cheeks, when I came out of my vision. Damon looked down at me in concern, and brushed my tears away. "What did you see?" he asked softly, as I buried my face into his chest.

"The vampires kill Mathew Lockwood and Elena," I mumbled into his shirt, before looking up at him.

"_We're going home."_

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: AubreySalvatore, SomebodyWhoCares, HawthorneTree, jacquline, Samantha meyers, Kelsey, vdemily, and Ravenator for reviewing!

Review!

~Abby ;)


	55. Halloween

**Chapter fifty four**

**Halloween**

*Hailey*

"Hailey, if you don't wake up right now, 'I'm going back to bed."

I opened one eye and glared at Damon. "I'm sleeping, go away," I mumbled, pulling the blanket over my head.

"You're the one who told me to wake you up and drive you to school in the first place," he muttered, as he lay down next to me in his bed.

"I didn't mean it," I mumbled, rolling over and snuggling up to him.

Damon and I got back from Atlantic City last night, the day before Halloween. It was currently six in the morning on Halloween. I had planned to go to school, and show Elena how good I was without her, but his bed was just too damn comfortable.

Suddenly, my cellphone alarm went off, and both of us groaned. "Fine, you win," I mumbled, sitting up.

"Just make it shut up," Damon groaned, as I struggled to turn my phone off.

I groaned, and smashed my phone against the wall.

"I think that you should start buying cellphones in bulk, Hailey," Damon teased, as I got up and sluggishly got ready for school.

After I got dressed in my usual outfit of jeans, a t-shirt, and Damon's leather jacket, Damon drove me to school. I was still half asleep, when Damon got a text message.

"It's Julia, your rebound best friend," he teased, before tossing me his phone.

I gave him the finger, before grinning and texting Julia back. we were talking about our favorite things, and we had a lot in common. I was done feeling guilty about lying to Elena, and was starting to bond with Julia, which Damon was giving me shit for.

We pulled to a stop in front of my school, in front of Caroline and Elena. I made a big show of kissing Damon goodbye, before I got out of his car. "Do you need a ride home?" he asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'll probably skip out early."

"I'll drive by around noon," Damon told me, before putting his car into drive.

"I love you," I told him with a slight smirk.

He smirked back, and mouthed "I love you," something I always did. I rolled my eyes jokingly, and waved as he drove away. I looked at Caroline and Elena, and waved as I walked towards the school.

"Hey Caroline," I called to her, and Elena glared at me. I rolled my eyes and ignored her.

Caroline ran to catch up to me, and I grinned at her. I had grown to like Caroline more, now that I had been through basically the same thing she'd been through. "Was that Damon Salvatore?" she asked.

"Yeah, we're dating," I said casually, as we walked to my locker.

"Oh, that's why you and Elena called it quits, right? Because she hates Damon?" she asked, pushing a lock of blonde hair behind her ear.

I nodded, and Caroline frowned. "What about 'hoes before bros?'"

I bit my lip. "That has a trump card, Care. Love. And I love Damon." I told her.

Caroline smiled softly at me. "I'm happy for you, Hailey. But I heard that Damon was bad news."

I sighed, but realize that Caroline would understand this. "Remember when we were the bane of each other's existences? I thought you were no good for Matt, but he was in love with you. He saw something in you that I couldn't or wouldn't see. But to save our friendship, I just trusted that he knew what he was doing, and now you and I are actually friends. Elena should've done what I did, Caroline."

And then, without another word, I walked to history class, ready to show Elena how good I was without her.

_**~LMF~**_

"Trick or treat!"

I smiled at all of the little kids, and gave them all king-sized candy bars. When I was a kid, I always hated it when the rich houses handed out one fun-sized candy bar. I always egged their houses after, and I'm not cleaning up that mess.

I closed the door, and walked back to my living room, where Damon sat. we were watching a Friday the Thirteenth movie marathon. I sat down in his lap, and took the bottle of bourbon from him, before taking a sip.

I brushed my hair away from my neck, where a pair of healing puncture wounds were still visible. Damon eyed them, as I finished the bottle. Tyler was having a party at his house tonight, but I chose to stay in and watch poorly acted horror movies with Damon. my mom was at a work party, so I didn't have to worry about her.

I put the empty bottle down, and stood up to go make more popcorn, when I was suddenly pinned against the couch by Damon. he started kissing my neck, and instantly knew what he wanted. I moaned softly to let him know that I was okay with it.

Damon sunk his fangs into my neck, and I gasped in pain and pleasure. I gripped his hair, as he started to pull off my jeans.

"Woah…"

Damon pulled away from me, and we both looked out the window, to see a nine-year old dressed as a robot watching us.

I got off of the couch, and ran to go give the kid candy. "Nice costume, lady. Are you a victim of a vampire?" he asked curiously, and I smirked to myself. I was relieved that he thought it was just a costume.

"I sure am, kid," I told him, the fresh bite mark still trickling blood down my neck.

"Cool," he said, before leaving. I walked back to Damon, and kissed him. I could taste a little bit of my own blood in his mouth.

Damon wiped the dripping blood off of my neck, and then gave me some of his blood to counter my blood loss. After that, I sat in his lap and watched bad horror movies. Ellie came down from my room, and hissed at Damon.

"Your cat hates me," Damon informed me.

"She's just being a good familiar," I cooed to Ellie. She purred, and rubbed her face against my legs.

Just then, Damon's phone started ringing, and I answered it. "Damon's phone," I said, leaning against him.

"Hailey? You two need to get to the Mystic Falls cemetery. now. There are tomb vampires everywhere," Julia told me.

I sat up instantly. My vision was going to come true tonight.

"We'll be there," I told her. Damon already had the door open for me by the time I hung up on Julia.

It was a two minute drive to the cemetery. When we reached it, Julia and Zane were already fighting tomb vampires. I saw Mathew Lockwood cowering behind a tree. Damon ran up to him, scaring Mathew. "Get in your car and drive away as fast as possible," he told him, before taking down two vampires so that Mathew could get away.

I used my telekinesis to hold vampires in place, so that the good vampires could stake them. It was pretty easy, but Damon stood in front of me as I did it. I heard a yowl of pain, and saw Zane catch Julia after she was stabbed in the stomach with a tree branch.

That's when everything went to hell.

Suddenly, Stefan and Elena were in the middle of the fight. I watched Stefan stake vampires while trying to keep Elena safe. Suddenly, a vampire snuck up on Elena, and grabbed her by the neck.

"Elena!" I screamed, and ran towards her. I managed to distract the vampire from killing her, and he let go of Elena.

I gasped in pain and crumpled to the floor, when I felt a white-hot pain in my stomach. "Hailey!" Damon shouted, but he was held back by vampires. I could taste blood in my mouth, and felt semi-unconscious due to the pain of my injury.

I looked up, and saw a vampire grinning twistedly down at me. his face started to contort, but then he was suddenly gone. A familiar face full of concern replaced his a few seconds later.

Nicolai.

"You're going to be fine, Hailey," he assured me, before picking me up.

Nicolai carried me out of the battle, and to the edge of the forest. He pulled the wooden stake out of my stomach, and then forced me to drink his blood. I tried to struggle, but I couldn't. I was too weak. I just kept muttering "Damon," as I struggled to stay conscious.

"Heal fast, Hailey," Nicolai murmured to me, before kissing me gently.

Damon ran around the cemetery, looking for his fairy. he was terrified that he would find her body drained of blood, especially when he picked up the scent of her blood in the air.

He stopped suddenly at the edge of the cemetery, to see Nicolai kiss a semi-unconscious Hailey. When Nicolai pulled away, he saw Damon staring and smirked at him. before Damon could attack him, he was gone.

The sight of Hailey passed out on the ground was the only thing that kept Damon from chasing after Nicolai.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **happy Valentine's Day, or Desperate Singles Day, or Tuesday. Whichever one you celebrate ;)

Thank you to: Ravenator, AudreyDarke96, SomebodyWhoCares, Kelsey, and jacquline for reviewing!

Reviews are appreciated :)

~Abby!


	56. the next step

**Chapter fifty five**

**The next step**

*Hailey*

"I'm fine Damon. I don't need to stay in bed for a week," I complained, as Damon brought me lunch.

I was on bed rest. It had been a few days since I took a stake in the stomach, and Damon refused to let me leave my bed. He was in overprotective mode, but was also acting strange, almost distant. I figured out that it was because he saw Nicolai kiss me.

"You can talk to me when you can sit up without flinching," Damon told me, and I groaned.

I glared at Damon as I dipped some french-fries in ketchup. He lay down next to me, but his body was stiff. I sighed and tried my best to flip onto my side and face him, but my stomach still ached. I managed to, and hid my gasp of pain.

I gave Damon a look, and he raised his eyebrows at me. "What?"

"You know what," I said, taking a sip of my drink. "I know that you saw Nicolai kiss me. But it doesn't count as cheating, because I was semi-unconscious."

Damon sighed. "I don't think that you cheated, Hailey," he said, stealing some of my fries.

"Good, because even if Nicolai claims that he loves me, it's Victoria that he loves. I'm just the badass chick who looks like her," I smirked. "Besides, I would never leave you for him. Ever."

Damon relaxed, and I knew that he needed to hear that. I kissed him softly, and my hand went to his hair, as one of his arms wrapped around my waist. Despite my food, Damon flipped me over. He was on top of me, his lips never leaving mine, as his hands went under my shirt.

Even though my stomach was still sore, I didn't give away any signs of pain. I wrapped my legs around his waist, as his lips kissed one of the many bite marks on my body. Suddenly, my phone vibrated, interrupting our kissing.

Damon groaned, but got off of me. I reached for my new phone, and for a split second, I thought that it was Elena. But when I read the text message, it was Caroline. I sighed, and put the phone back down. I hadn't seen Elena since the cemetery, when I saved her life. She was still avoiding me.

Damon sensed that I was sad, and wrapped an arm around me. He kissed my forehead, and I closed my eyes, smiling slightly.

"So, what does the birthday girl want for her birthday?" Damon asked, as I leaned into him.

I grinned up at him, after I opened my eyes. I would be turning eighteen in two days. "I don't think that I want a party," I admitted.

He raised his eyebrows at me. "Hailey Ellis doesn't want a party? I never thought that I would hear that," Damon said teasingly.

"Well, almost all of the parties I've went to this year haven't ended so well," I retorted. "All I want for my birthday is a bottle of bourbon, you, or my car." My baby had been sitting in a garage, ever since the crash. My mom had refused to pay to fix it.

Damon smirked at me. "I think that I can manage one of those."

He kissed me quickly, before standing up. I frowned at him, and he explained. "I'm supposed to plot the demise of the tomb vampires with Stefan and Zane today. I also have to get a present for my birthday girl."

"I love you," I said, not liking the prospect of being alone.

"Love you too," he told me, before kissing me on the forehead. I sighed, and when I looked up, Damon was gone.

I sighed again, and turned on my TV. I channel surfed, but nothing good was on. It was boring, being on bed rest. Doctor Damon said that I could leave my bed tomorrow, at the earliest. I couldn't wait.

"_Hailey Anne Ellis!"_

I flinched, and heard footsteps pound up to my room. My burst into my room and glared at me, fury in her eyes. "You haven't been to school in a month?" she exclaimed.

"Not true, I went on Halloween for, like, half the day," I said, not bothering to look at her.

"I'm sick of you acting like you don't care about school," my mom shouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I _don't _care about school," I said, raising my eyebrows at her.

"People are starting to talk, Hailey. You're about to become a high school dropout, and you're seeing a man almost seven years older than you. I won't have people talking about my daughter, what will they think of me?"

"Gee, thanks for caring about me, mom," I said sarcastically. "But you know what I'm sick of? Having a mom who doesn't car about me. I'm sick of you! I don't care what people think about you, mom, and I'm certainly not going to change myself to please you."

My mom glared daggers at me. "I'm tired of having a disgrace as a daughter. I'm sick of having a lazy, selfish, no good, little whore as a daught-"

"Don't call me that!" I screamed, standing up, ignoring the pain that shot through my stomach. "You don't know half the shit I've been through, what I've been dealing with. Because you don't care enough to notice, or you'd know. I'm not a lazy, selfish, no good, little whore, mom. In fact, I've been risking my ass to save this town."

My mom scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Right, you little liar. All you've done since we've moved back was have Damon Salvatore between your legs. I'm so done with you and having you ruin our family name."

"I'm done with not being enough, mom. I've given up a long time ago, on trying to get you to love me. I don't even care anymore, I'm just done," I said, just shrugging.

My mom didn't glare. She didn't yell or scream. She just turned her back on me and walked to the door.

"Get out."

I gaped at her. "What?"

"I'm going out with Carol Lockwood, and when I get back, I want you and all of your crap out of my house," she said, before slamming the door behind her as she walked out.

I didn't expect this. I never expected her to kick me out. But after a few seconds, I realized that it was bound to happen. I got boxes and bags, and started packing away my entire room. It took me about two hours, but soon all that was left were the big furniture. Ellie was in her carrier, and all my belongings were packed away.

I grabbed my phone, and scrolled through the contacts. I almost called Elena- we always had a plan, that when I did get kicked out, I'd move in with her. But then I remembered, and called Damon.

"_Miss me already?" _Damon said, and I could tell that he was smirking.

"My mom kicked me out," I told him bluntly.

"_What?"_

"We got into a huge fight, and she kicked me out of the house. Can I stay with you for a few days?" I didn't know where I'd move into, but I needed a place to stay.

"_How about you just live with me?" _he asked casually.

"What? Are you serious?" I didn't expect that.

"_Why not? You practically live here already," _Damon said, like it was no big deal.

"You sure?" I asked, touched.

"_Well, there is the whole convenience factor,"_ he smirked, and I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you," I told him.

"_No problem. I'm coming to get you right now," _he said, before hanging up.

I got all of my stuff together, thinking about how getting kicked out wasn't that bad. I was done dealing with my mom, and I got to live with Damon. We were taking the next step that I'd never expected that we'd take. But I was glad that we were taking it.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **nine chapters and counting- plus the epilogue- until LMF is finished!

Thank you to: SomebodyWhoCares, CassieSalvatore, Ravenator, Samantha meyers, Sydney, and Kelsey for reviewing!

Reviews are inspiring!

~Abby :p


	57. the birthday girl

**Chapter fifty six**

**The birthday girl**

*Hailey*

On November fifth- a few days after I moved in with Damon- I woke up in our bed, to find that Damon wasn't next to me. I yawned, and sat up. Ellie was curled up at my feet, still asleep. She didn't like being in a house full of vampires and stayed in my bed most of the day.

"Happy Birthday."

I looked up at Damon, who was standing in the doorway. A small purple bag dangled from his fingers. He had a half smirk on his lips, and I grinned sleepily back.

"What'd you get me?" I asked, sitting up. I grinned excitedly, and Damon handed me the bag.

"Open it and find out," he told me.

I looked down at the bag. "Damon, you better not have gotten me underwear," I said in warning tone. Damon just smirked at me.

I opened the bag, to see it full of multi-colored panties. I glared up at him. "Really?"

"That's not your present. Tissue paper is just a waste of money," Damon said, a giant smirk on his face.

I rolled my eyes at him, and then dumped the bag onto the bed. Through the lace and silk, I found a small silver key with a purple bow on it. I looked back up at Damon, and raised an eyebrow. "I already have a key to this house, Damon. I took Stefan's," I told him.

Damon rolled his eyes. It's not a house key," he said, before pulling the blanket off of me. "Come on."

I raised my eyebrows, but grabbed the key, and followed him out of our bedroom. Once we were downstairs, Damon covered my eyes with his hands. I couldn't see a thing.

"What the hell, Damon?" I complained.

"I don't trust you not to peek," he answered.

Somehow, we managed to get outside without crashing into anything. We stopped walking after a few minutes, and Damon made me go stand in a corner with my eyes closed. I tried to peek, but it was as if Damon had eyes in the back of his head.

"Hailey, you look one more time, and I'm selling your present," he threatened, after my fourth attempt at peeking. I rolled my eyes, but I knew that he meant business, and didn't look again.

"Okay," he said finally, as I stood in the corner, my eyes shut tight. I felt him grab my shoulders, and turn me around. "Open your eyes."

I did as told, and my eyes widened to the size of soccer balls. I gasped in surprise, not believing what I was seeing.

My car stood in front of me, in perfect condition.

I looked up at Damon, and he smiled softly down at me, pleased with my reaction. "You got my car fixed?" I whispered.

Damon shrugged, like it was no big deal. "Well, you wanted three things," he said. "Your car, me, and a bottle of bourbon."

I smiled slightly. "There's no bottle of bourbon," I pointed out.

"Check the passenger seat," he countered.

I walked to my car, looking like it had before the car crash. I pulled my pajamas down- one of Damon's shirts, that went to the middle of my thigh. On the passenger seat, there was a bottle of bourbon, a purple bow on it.

I smiled slightly, touched by his presents. I loved him so, so much. "Thank you," I whispered, turning back to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and hugged Damon tightly. "Thank you so much."

Damon smiled into my hair, and didn't say anything. His hands skimmed my bare thighs, and I shivered- though not because of his cold hands. I kissed him, and buried one hand in his hair. Damon hoisted me up onto the hood of my car, and I sighed contently into his mouth. We were in his garage, completely alone.

Damon's lips traveled from my lips, past my jaw, to my neck. I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist. "Bite me," I gasped slightly, as he slowly unbuttoned my oversized shirt.

Damon did'nt need to be told twice, and bit me in my shoulder and my neck. I moaned, leaning into the windshield, as I quickly undid his shirt. We had sex right on the hood of my car, just making my amazing birthday morning even better.

My shoulder was a little sore, as I slipped my shirt back on. Damon wiped my blood from his lips, before kissing me. I could taste a hint of blood in his mouth, but I didn't mind. The kiss made me want to skip school, but I wanted to see my friends on my birthday.

Before Damon could change my mind, I drank some of his blood and got dressed. Then I drove to school, glad to have my baby back. I was in a terrific mood, from the great sex and great presents, that not even Elena avoiding me in the parking lot could bring me down.

"Hey Caroline," I smiled at the blonde when she ran up to me.

"Happy birthday Hailey!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around me.

I laughed, and even hugged her back. "Thanks Care," I said cheerfully.

"Here you go," she said, handing me a rectangular box wrapped in silver wrapping paper.

I opened it, praying that it wasn't anything too girly- when I pulled out a Cobra Starship t-shirt, an autographed one.

"Thank you so much!" I exclaimed, hugging her.

"You're welcome! I'm glad that you like it," Caroline said, as I pulled off my shirt- I was wearing a tank top underneath- and pulled the Cobra Starship shirt on.

"I love it," I beamed. "Let's get to class."

My birthday was turning to be great, even without Elena.

_**~LMF~**_

At lunch, Matt and Tyler wished me happy birthday. "Here you go, Hails," Tyler said, giving me a paper bag with half a blueberry muffin in it.

"You suck at giving presents," I repeated from our conversation when I was in the hospital.

"I forgot, okay?" he defended himself.

"I wrote it on your hand," I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Well, as hard as it will be to top that, here you go Hailey," Matt said sarcastically, giving me a small rectangular present.

I opened it, to find a framed picture of Matt, Tyler, Elena, Caroline, and me when we were ten. We were all using a slip n' slide in Elena's front yard. Elena was blushing, smiling sweetly at Matt, while I had pushed Caroline halfway out of the picture. But what I noticed the most in the picture, was that Elena and I were hugging.

How I missed the days when everything was simple.

"Thanks, Mattie," I said, hugging him.

"Hey, well I'm also throwing you a party tonight," Tyler said, frowning slightly.

I sighed slightly. I hadn't really wanted a party, but it would be fun- hopefully.

"Okay, sounds fun," I said, hoping that I wasn't going to land myself in a huge dramatic mess.

But in Mystic Falls, everything was dramatic.

_**~LMF~**_

"Hailey, be careful!"

I laughed drunkenly, as I stumbled down the stairs. Matt caught me before I face planted. I was looking for my boyfriend.

"Danks Matteh," I slurred, giggling as I spilled a little of the drink in my hand.

I managed to pull away from him, and stumbled into the crowd. I was pretty wasted, but I was having a good time. I lost Damon in the crowd, and was on a mission to find him.

"Hailey?"

I turned around, and stumbled. Stefan caught me, and looked slightly amused. "Stef!" I exclaimed, saying everything like it was a cheer.

"I loss Damon," I told him in a sad, serious voice.

"Let's go find him," Stefan said, now completely amused. He grabbed my arm, and helped me through the crowd, as we looked for his brother.

Damon looked through the crowd of teenagers. He had lost a very drunk Hailey, which wasn't good. He was glad that she was getting the chance to act like a normal teenager, though. She needed it.

He spotted Elena in the crowd. Despite the fact that Hailey would kill him if she found out what he was about to do, Damon walked up to the brunette. Elena looked less than thrilled to see him.

"What do you want, Damon?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Stop being a bitch to Hailey," he told her bluntly.

"Excuse me?"

"Stop being a bitch to her," he repeated. "She doesn't deserve it. She felt horrible, lying to you. She cried for four hours straight, when you refused to be friends with her because she loved me. She saved your life- almost ending her own- and now it's her god damn birthday, and still, you're mad at her because she loves me. If you want to be pissed at anyone Elena, be pissed at me. Hailey doesn't deserve the way you're treating her. So, get over yourself and just accept that we're together. You hate me because I've hurt her Elena, but you're hurting her more right now than I ever had." Then Damon turned and left her. Elena gaped after him.

Stefan and I couldn't find Damon anywhere. But we did find Tyler, who was just as drunk as I was. "Wait, Stef. I gonna hang wit Tyler, kay?" I said, pulling away from him.

Stefan chuckled. "Be careful, Hailey," he said, before leaving me.

"Hi Ty!" I said cheerfully, as I ran to him. Tyler was in a small room, an empty bottle next to him.

"Hi Hails!" he slurred, and I tripped and stumbled into his arms.

"Oopsy daisy!" I giggled, but Tyler didn't let go of me. Instead, he leaned in and kissed me hard.

I pulled away as quick as my drunk reflexes would allow, and slapped him. "No! No, Tyler! No!" I shouted, as if he was a dog that peed on the carpet.

Damon looked around everywhere for Hailey. He was starting to worry, when he heard her drunken giggle. He followed it to a small room. He figured that it was time to take her home, before she started dancing on tables.

Damon walked into the room, just in time to see Tyler Lockwood kiss his Hailey on the lips.

Hailey pulled away and hit him. She mumbled, "No!" over and over again, but Damon was already seeing red. He slammed Tyler into a wall, across the room. His hands went around his neck, ready to rip his head off. Tyler stared, terrified, up at him, too scared to speak.

"No, Damon!" Hailey screamed at him, but Damon ignored her.

Suddenly, he was ripped off of Tyler by Stefan. He watched in anger as Lockwood ran from the room. Hailey glared at him, shook her head drunkenly, before storming off. Damon just watched her go, still being held down by his brother.

I was drunk and angry- never a good combination. I walked down the dark road to the boarding house. I was angry that Tyler kissed me, and even more that Damon almost killed him. Being drunk made it even worse.

I somehow managed to lose my shirt along the way, and was just in my bra and jeans. I started hearing noises coming from the woods. I did'nt know if it was my drunken imagination, or if it was real.

"Dis was not a good idea," I mumbled to myself, before plopping down in the middle of the road.

"Hailey, thank god that I found you."

I looked up, and saw Damon looking relieved. "No, I'm mad at you," I told him stubbornly, and turned away from him.

"Hailey, if you ever run off on me again, I'm going to handcuff us together," Damon told me, completely ignoring me. He pulled me up, and I frowned at him.

"No, Damon," I told him, pulling away, before falling down again.

"Hailey," Damon sighed, helping me up again. "I'm sorry for almost killing your friend."

"Okay!" I beamed, lunging at him. He chuckled, before picking me up bridal style. I rested my head on his shoulder, as he walked us home.

"Damon, I think I'm drunk," I sighed, suddenly exhausted.

"Wow, could've fooled me," he said sarcastically.

There was a moment of silence, before I blurted out, "Do you ever think about our future?"

Damon paused. "All the time," he answered quietly.

"Do you ever think about me becomin a vamp?" I asked curiously.

He didn't answer, so I continued. "Cause, I would, Damon. I want us to be together forever and ever and ever!"

Damon looked down at the sleeping fairy in his arms, not knowing what to say to that. But she was already fast asleep.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: AubreySalvatore, vdemily, Samantha meyers, Kelsey, SomebodyWhoCares, colleenrawr, OBSESSEDwithPOWERS, jacquline, Sydney, and Ravenator for reviewing!

Review, please and thank you!

~Abby :)


	58. kiss and make up

**Chapter fifty seven**

**Kiss and make up**

*Hailey*

I woke up next to the toilet, my hair pressed to my sweaty forehead, my head feeling as if it was consistently being pounded on by a giant hammer. I stood up shakily, and rubbed my temples. I padded into my room, and noticed that I was just in my bra and jeans. I quickly changed into one of Damon's shirts, before crawling into bed.

I had a foggy memory of last night. I didn't remember much, and the pounding in my head wasn't allowing me to try to remember. Damon wasn't in his spot next to me, and I wondered where he was. I shut my eyes tightly, and pulled the blanket over my head.

"How's that hangover treating you?"

I peeked out from behind the blanket, as Damon walked into the room with a glass of water and Advil. He had a smirk on his lips, but kindly whispered for my sake.

"Hell would be so much more fun," I muttered, and took the Advil and the water from him. I swallowed three pills, and chugged the water.

When I was done, I smiled flirtatiously at Damon. "Wanna spend the day in bed with me?" I asked him, batting my eyelashes.

Damon smirked, but it seemed forced. "As much as I'd love to, I have to go plot with Zane. Besides, you have a hangover to sleep off."

I frowned slightly. "Okay, but you don't know what you're missing," I teased.

Damon chuckled, but he was stiff. I noticed a thoughtful and anxious look in his eyes, and got a bad feeling. He kissed me quickly goodbye, but it was too quick. Then he walked out of the door.

"I love you," I called, but he was already gone.

I sighed, and wondered what was up with him. I lay in bed for a while, and tried to remember last night. Finally, I remembered that Tyler kissed me- both of us wasted- and that Damon almost killed him. That had to be what was making him act so strange.

Probably. Hopefully.

I fell asleep, during which I had a strange, foggy, multicolored dream. I saw Damon, Elena, my mom, and felt intense pain. But I couldn't make it all out. I woke up gasping, clutching my chest. It was probably just a hangover dream.

Probably. Hopefully.

I woke up around one thirty in the afternoon, and got out of bed. I knew that after my strange dream, I wasn't going to be able to go back to bed. Hopefully Damon was back, and done acting like a robot.

I put on baggy sweatpants and a tank top, and put my hair up. Then I walked down to the kitchen and made some coffee. I poured myself a cup, and then wandered into the living room. I started flipping through channels on the TV, when suddenly, the door opened. I looked up, expecting to see Damon, when I saw the person I least expected.

Elena.

She was biting her lip- something she always did when she felt nervous. I shut off the TV, and raised my eyebrows at her.

"Stefan isn't here," I said coolly, walking to the kitchen with my empty mug.

"I know, Elena said, following me.

"Can I help you with something, then?" I asked my tone cold and emotionless. Elena avoided me even after I saved her life. I didn't need a "Thank you" nor did I expect one, but it hurt.

"I was hoping that we could talk," she said nervously. I felt my pulse race at the thought of fixing things with her.

"Sure," I said, nervous too. I gestured her to follow me, and she did. I lead her to a small sitting room, and sat on a desk that was probably older than Damon.

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked, brushing my hair back, to reveal the many bite marks on my neck, all within varying states of healing.

"I just wanted to say-" she cut herself off, and narrowed her eyes at me. "What's that?" Elena gestured to my neck.

I froze, as my hand brushed the bites on my neck. I raised my shoulders to hide my neck. "Nothing," I said too quickly, my eyes wide. Elena walked up to me, and forced me to reveal my neck, and saw even more bites on my shoulders.

"What the hell, Hailey?" Elena screeched, and I pulled away from her. "Did Damon do this to you? I told you! I told you that he was just using you! He's been biting you! I'll kill him!"

I've never seen Elena so angry before, like she could kill. But what she said about killing Damon lit a fuse inside of me, though I knew that she could never hurt him.

"Has it ever occurred to you that I asked him to bite me?" I snapped, glaring at her.

Elena looked horrified. "Why would you let Damon bite you?"

"Because I _like _it, Elena. He's likes biting me, and I like being bitten by him."

"Hailey, you're letting him bite you! Do you know how messed up that is?" Elena demanded, looking outraged.

"I wanted to try it. Damon didn't want to at first, but I talked him into it. We both like it when he bites me especially when he bites me during sex," I smirked slightly at her. "Besides, it's really none of your business, Elena. I trust Damon not to kill me, so that should be good enough for you."

I stood up, walked to the door, and opened it for her. "If you're just here to judge me, you can leave. Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out."

Elena stared at me for a few moments, before sighing. "You're right. I don't like it, but if you trust him, then I should just accept your judgment."

I stared wide eyed at her. "What are you saying?" I whispered.

"I'm saying that I miss my best friend- a lot- and I'm willing to get over the fact that I don't like the guy she's in love with, if that's what I have to do to get her back," Elena told me.

I just kept looking at her. It was too good to be true. Slowly, I started to smile, and then hugged Elena tightly. "Thank you Lena. I missed you so much," I whispered.

She beamed, and hugged me back just as tightly. I knew that she didn't like Damon- and probably never would- but at least she would accept him for me. Elena and I spent hours talk and catching up. It was dark outside when she finally left.

I walked up to my room, to find Ellie hissing at the door. I opened it to find Damon lounging on our bed. I smiled at him, and hopped up onto the bed, and snuggled into his chest. Damon was stiff, and looked serious.

"We need to talk," he told me, sitting up.

I frowned at him, my heart pounding in my chest. "Are you breaking up with me?" I asked, only half joking.

Damon frowned at me. "No, nothing like that," he said, before sighing.

"Do you remember what you said last night to me, when I found you in the middle of the road?" he asked.

I frowned at him. "Damon, I barely remember going to that party," I told him, very nervous on what he had to say.

Damon sighed, looking uncomfortable. "You asked me if I ever thought about our future. You were wasted, though."

It nudged my memory, but it didn't really remember it. Damon continued. "I told you that I thought about it all the time, since we have that whole issue that you'll be dead in the next hundred years, and I'll still be alive."

"Probably in the next five, at the rate I'm going," I joked, but Damon didn't laugh. He just continued on with his speech.

"And then you asked me if I ever thought about you becoming a vampire. You told me that you would, because you wanted us to be together forever and ever and ever," Damon smirked slightly, while I felt like I had just had the wind knocked out of me.

Had I really drunkenly blurted out to Damon what I had been internally debating for a while now?

"So, I just wanted to tell you that if and when you wanted to change- if you even do, ever- I'll do it," he concluded.

"You'll what?" I managed to choke out.

"I'll change you into a vampire," he repeated, his voice rough.

I froze, my heart racing. I didn't have an answer, I couldn't think.

Damon shifted awkwardly. I knew that this was so hard for him to say. My silence wasn't making it any easier for him. "You can think about it," he added, as he got off of the bed, and walked to the door.

:"Yes," I gasped out. I was grinning.

"What?" Damon asked, turning around and gaping at me.

"I want you to change me into a vampire. Once things settle down," I added, beaming up at him.

Suddenly, Damon's lips were on mine, and I kissed him back, my fingers entwining in his hair. I wanted to be with Damon Salvatore forever, and it didn't matter to me what I had to do to make it happen.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: Kelsey, Sydney, jacquline, Angelfang, SomebodyWhoCares, vdemily, and Samantha meyers for reviewing!

Reviews are inspiring!

~Abby ;)


	59. bonding

**Chapter fifty eight**

**Bonding**

*Hailey*

It was around four in the morning, the sun not even up yet. I couldn't sleep, and just kept staring up at the ceiling, as Damon slept next to me. It had been a couple days since Damon and I had decided on our future, and I had yet to tell Elena or Stefan. I was worried about what their opinion would be, and I had just gotten my best friend back.

It had to be nerves that were keeping me up. I gave up on trying to sleep, and snuck out of the room, careful not to wake up Damon. I walked down to the kitchen, and decided to make cookies.

I was a decent cool, but even in the same galaxy as Damon. I had learned how to cook from my dad. I had his super-secret chocolate chip cookie recipe memorized, and set about gathering ingredients. I tried not to make too much noise as I mixed up the ingredients, and the stirring calmed my nerves.

I had a feeling of foreboding that I couldn't explain. I just had a bad feeling about today, like I shouldn't of have gotten out of bed this morning. Too late.

"Are you aware that it's four thirty in the morning?"

Arms wrapped themselves around my waist, and Damon rested his chin on the top of my head. I smiled softly, as I added vanilla to my mixture. "I can't sleep, so I'm making cookies," I said, as Damon kissed a bite mark on my neck.

"That's a reasonable solution to insomnia," he said sarcastically, stealing some cookie dough from the bowl. I slapped his hand away with the wooden spoon I was using.

"Hey, if you eat all of the dough, I can't make cookies," I pointed out, moving the bowl out of his reach.

Damon smirked, as he leaned against the counter. He was shirtless and had bed hair. He looked tired, but seemed determined not to leave me alone. I was thankful; I wasn't in a mood to be left alone with my thoughts.

"Why can't you sleep?' Damon asked, as I added chocolate chips to the dough.

I shrugged, as I started spooning the dough onto the baking sheet. "You're not… having second thoughts, are you? Because it's okay if you are. It's an irreversible decision," he said quickly. I knew that Damon was happy that I was changing for him, but he didn't want to pressure me into it.

I smirked at him. "Don't try to get rid of me now, Damon. It's not that- I'm a hundred percent sure on that- It's more like a bad feeling. Something bad is coming, I know it."

Damon frowned, as I stuck the cookies into the oven. I could tell that something was bothering him. I smiled, and wrapped my arms around his waist. "We have twenty minutes to kill before the cookies are done. Wanna try to fix my sleeping problem?" I asked with a seductive smirk, before stretching up to kiss him.

Damon kissed me back, and lifted me up onto the counter. But not even sex could make his worries go away, no matter how good it was.

_**~LMF~**_

"Ready for our girl's day, Lena Bear?" I asked, as I burst into her house. My insomnia cookies were in one hand, and the key to the perfect girl's day in the other. I had movies, makeover kits, ice cream, raw cookie dough, and the latest magazines.

It was eight and a half hours later, and I was over at Elena's for our bonding day. Damon and Stefan were having their own brotherly bonding day, and I was teasing Damon a lot about it. Elena and I were alone in her house. As she ordered pizza, I popped in Mean Girls.

I started munching on my insomnia cookies, and Elena started painting my nails. I decided that now was a good time to spill to Elena about my decision, since we promised no more secrets.

"So Lena, I have something to share," I started, flipping absentmindedly through a magazine.

"How big is it?" she asked, looking up at me.

"Life altering. It's good news, though. I'm really happy, yet terrified," I said honestly.

"Hailey, are you pregnant?" she teased.

I rolled my eyes. "Last time I checked, I'm dating a vampire, and they can't knock people up. But how funny is it, that the topic of vampires came up? Especially since I have plans to become one," I said casually.

Elena gaped at me. "What?" she exclaimed.

"Damon and I agreed, that once everything settles down, he's going to change me," I said, biting my lip.

Elena sighed. "Are you really sure about this, Hailey? You can't go back. You'll have to deal with your humanity. You'll probably kill people. You'll become a blood crazed maniac. You'll watch all of your friends and family grow old and die. You'll never be able to have kids- the list goes on."

I could tell by the look in Elena's brown eyes that she had spent many nights thinking about this list. I sighed. "This world needs my spawn like they need the plaque. I don't want kids- I can barely take care of myself. Besides, in eighty years, I'm going to be old, wrinkly and gross- probably even dead. Damon will still be young, hot, and sexy. This is what I have to do to be with him forever, Elena. The rest doesn't matter. Not to me."

Elena sighed. "There's no way that I can change your mind, is there?"

"Nope. Besides, you have the same problem, Elena," I told her.

"I don't know what to do about that… but I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay, just tell me if and when you decide to join me in vampirism," I told her, as the doorbell rang.

"Is that even a word?" she asked, as she stood up to answer it.

I followed her to the door, to see a guy in his early twenties checking both of us out. I raised an eyebrow at him, as I took the pizza.

"Sorry delivery boy, but both of us are spoken for. And our boyfriends are the jealous type," I told him, as Elena paid, and then I shut the door in his face.

"Was that necessary?" she asked, as I dug into the pizza.

"Is anything I do ever really necessary?" I retorted with a smirk.

"Touché."

_**~LMF~**_

"So, why are we whispering?" Damon asked, as he talked to Hailey on his cellphone.

"_Because it's against girl's day rules to talk to boys_," she whispered, and he smirked.

"I hope you know that Stefan's on the phone with Elena right now."

"_Well, then she can't get mad at me,"_ Hailey said, her voice rising. Damon chuckled.

"Are your spidey senses still tingling?" he asked, and Hailey laughed.

"_I still feel like shit's gonna go down, but I'm ignoring it," _she said.

"You shouldn't ignore your spidey senses, Hailey? Damon told her.

"_It's probably nothing, Damon. I'm not worried,"_ she said, her tone implying that they would be dropping the subject.

"_So, how's the bonding with your little brother going?"_ she asked to change the subject.

"Weird and awkward. I can't believe that I let you talk me into this," he said, amazed over the control Hailey had over him. He was whipped, though he would never, ever admit it.

"_Damon, just admit that ever since I've moved in, you two have started to become brothers again. Don't ruin it by becoming the jackass you become whenever things are going good, and you're scared that they'll go bad. So you make them go bad before they can on their own. So just go play pool and don't screw it up," _she told him.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Why is it so important to you that Stefan and I bond?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

"_Because I think that it would be good for you, to have your brother back_," Hailey replied softly. Damon heard footsteps on the other line. _"That's Elena, I gotta go. I love you_." She told him, before hanging up.

Damon sighed before walking back to the pool table, where Stefan was waiting for him. Damon made his move, playing pool, without talking, and Stefan followed his lead. They played silently for a few minutes.

"Do I become a jackass when things are going good for me?" Damon blurted out suddenly.

"Yeah, but you're a jackass most of the time," Stefan retorted with a grin.

Damon snorted, before blurting out, "I'm changing Hailey into a vampire- once things settle down."

Stefan raised his eyebrows. "Things are that serious? Well, I'm happy for you two," he said, making his move,

Damon smiled slightly, knowing deep down that he did like having his brother back. The two brothers continued to make small talk, and they started to shift back to how they were pre-Katherine. They started acting like brothers again.

An hour later, Damon walked back to the pool table with drinks in his hands. He handed Stefan a glass, and he blurted out, "So why did you want to do this whole bonding thing anyway? Last time we did this, you had a diabolical plan."

Damon smirked. "Nothing like that, brother. I just have a very pushy fairy who is hard to say no to."

Stefan smiled, and sipped his drink silently. Both of them knew that they were on the road to fixing their screwed up relationship. Even though it could never be like it was before, it could me much better than it was.

That's when Damon got the phone call, and the red head who had been watching them since they entered the Mystic Grill smirked to herself. That's when it all went to hell.

_**~LMF~**_

Elena and I were gossiping about Sheila Rain- who went to our school- when I suddenly felt like I was going to vomit. Nausea rolled in my stomach, and a horrible feeling overcame me.

"Hailey, what's-" Elena started to say, as I doubled over. She was cut off when the door was suddenly kicked down.

Vampires suddenly swarmed into the room, too many to count. Twisted smiles formed on their lips. Elena and I were stunned, and we just stared at him. Suddenly, I broke out of the shock, and jumped into action. "Run Elena, now!" I shouted.

Elena bolted to her room, as I started waving my hands madly. I sent vampires flying in every direction, and sprinted up the stairs. The tomb vampires followed me, as I kept sending them into walls and down the stairs. My energy was draining fast. Even as I fought, I knew that I had no chance of taking on all the vampires by myself. There was no hope.

Elena slammed her bedroom door shut behind her. She heard Hailey fighting the tomb vampires through the walls. She grabbed Hailey's cellphone from her bed, and dialed Damon's number.

"_I thought that talking to boys was against girl's day rules_?" Damon teased when he picked up, softness in his voice reserved for Hailey only.

"Damon, they're here! They're in my house!" Elena shouted, her voice filled with fear and urgency. She searched for something that could be used as a stake.

"_Elena? How are they in your house?" _Damon said, instantly alert.

"I don't know! Please, Hailey's fighting them, but there are so many!" Elena said, terrified for her and Elena's life.

"_We're on our way, Elena," _Damon assured her, but it was too late.

Hailey flew into Elena's room, blood running from her neck. Elena screamed, dropped the cellphone, and ran to Hailey. She was out cold.

"_Elena!"_ Damon shouted from the phone on the ground.

"Hello, Elena."

Elena looked up, only to have her head slammed against the wall by Markus, and fall unconscious.

"Take them, and hurry. Candace just texted me, saying that the brothers are on their way," he said coldly to his minions, as they grabbed the girls' bodies.

Markus looked down at the dropped cellphone curiously, and picked it up. _"Elena?" _he heard Damon Salvatore say desperately into the phone.

"I am afraid that Miss Gilbert is unavailable at this moment, Mister Salvatore," Markus said coolly.

"_Markus," _Damon hissed. _"If you hurt them, I swear to god, I'll rip your heart out, if it's the last thing I do."_

"Good luck," was all Markus said, before the line went dead,

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: colleenrawr, jacquline, Kelsey, CassieSalvatore, Samantha meyers, SomebodyWhoCares, and vdemily for reviewing!

Reviews inspire me ;)

~Abby!


	60. held captive

**Chapter fifty nine**

**Held captive**

*Hailey*

When I woke up, I had one of the worst headaches I had ever had- hangovers and visions included. I felt very, very weak, like I had no energy at all. I felt like there was fog in my mind, not allowing me to think or move or do anything.

I groaned softly, my eyes fluttering open. I couldn't move a muscle. I stared up at a dingy white ceiling, and was on a very uncomfortable bed. My eyelids drooped closed, just as I heard a familiar voice.

"Hailey? Are you awake?"

Elena's voice gave me enough inspiration to open my eyes again. I managed to twitch my neck to the left, to see Elena tied to a chair near my bed. "Elena?" I mumbled, barely a whisper. I didn't know why I felt like this, though the feeling was vaguely familiar.

"They dosed you up on vervain," Elena explained, and I shut my eyes again.

"Where are we?" I mumbled, keeping my eyes shut.

"At the tomb vamp headquarters, as you would call it." At any other situation, Elena would've smiled.

"We're screwed, Elena. How'd they get into your house?" I asked, as I slowly started to get my energy back.

"They must've compelled Jenna or Jeremy or something. We've been here for over a day, Hailey. Every couple of hours, they come in and give you a shot of vervain. They usually ignore me, but last time, I might've possibly said a smartass remark to Candace, and she bit me," Elena admitted sheepishly.

I opened my eyes a crack to see a bite mark on Elena's neck- much more ugly, bruised, and painful than any bite Damon had ever given me. I groaned, letting my eyes fall shut again. "Of all the times to pick up my smartass personality, Elena…"

"I know, but I couldn't help it," she sighed. Suddenly, I heard the door leading into our room click open, and Elena gasped.

"Sorry to interrupt the girl talk, but somebody's overdue for their shots," said a cold, drawling voice.

Candace.

"It's about time you woke up, Hailey. You've been missing all the fun," Candace smirked, as I managed to sit up slightly. I craned my neck, to see the redheaded bitch put on gloves and stick a needle into a mixture that had to be vervain.

"I think that we're going to give Best Friend a hit too- we don't want the brothers to get inside her head, do we?" she said, as she grabbed Elena's wrist roughly, and injected her with the shot of vervain.

Elena flinched, as Candace reloaded the needle. "Why are we still alive?" I whispered bluntly, in a hoarse voice. As the vervain left my system, my energy started to come back.

Candace raised her eyebrows at me. "Would you rather have your heart on the floor, Hailey? Because I can easily fulfill those wishes."

I rolled my eyes at her. "No, you evil bitch, I was wondering _why _my heart isn't on the floor, not that I want it there. I like it in my chest, thank you very much." I was near normal again, and that didn't go unnoticed.

"Not good, the vervain is leaving you system faster than we thought," Candace muttered, and she walked closer to me.

"To answer your question Hailey, the Salvatores have exactly two weaknesses. One, their girlfriends. Two, each other. We plan to use both against them," she said, preparing the needle. I felt anxiety and fear roll in my stomach. We were bait- they were going to use us to lure Damon and Stefan here, so that they could kill them.

"What, no snotty retort, Hailey?" Candace sneered, as she grabbed my wrist, and plunged the needle into my vein. I moaned in pin, as the fog rolled back into my head.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you, Hailey. I'm going to enjoy breaking every bone in your body, ripping every organ from you. I'm going to enjoy drinking every drop of blood from your veins. I'm going to enjoy destroying you until there's nothing left except for mush. And I'm going to enjoy making Damon watch as I kill the fairy that he's in love with."

Then Candace broke my left arm, and I cried out in pain. She smirked with satisfaction at the sickening crack. She gathered up her supplies, and walked to the door. "I'll be back later, ladies- don't miss me too much," she said sarcastically, before shutting the door behind her. I felt tears roll down my cheeks at the terrible pain in my arm.

We were screwed.

_**~LMF~**_

*Damon*

"They're giving them vervain," Damon announced, as he failed to get into Hailey or Elena's mind. Another thought entered Damon's mind, but he couldn't say it.

"They're not dead, Damon," Stefan said firmly, reading his brother's mind. "They're going to use them to get to us, they wouldn't kill them. Not yet."

Damon felt rage surge through him- a mix of rage, fear, and guilt. He would save Elena and Hailey, even if he died doing it.

And that's exactly what the tomb vampires wanted.

"I know where we can get help," Damon said suddenly, an idea coming to him.

"Where?" Stefan asked curiously, as he paced the living room.

"Julia and Zane."

_**~LMF~**_

"You can't just go marching into their headquarters, Damon. It's stupid, reckless, suicidal, and what they're expecting," Julia argued, as she and Zane sat at their kitchen table. Stefan leaned against the doorway, and Damon angrily paced the kitchen.

"This whole situation screams 'trap!' Every possible thing that you could do, they planned for it. Anything you do, you'll lose," Zane said, his gray eyes analyzing Damon.

"Then what do we do?" Damon asked angrily, stopping his pacing.

"Nothing," he said simply.

"Nothing?" Damon repeated. Stefan watched his brother carefully, ready to stop him from doing something that they would both regret.

"Let them come to you. They won't hurt the girls, because they know as long as you think that they're alive, you'll be desperate and emotionally unstable- the perfect ingredients in the formula to kill you. They won't waste that. So, you wait for them to make their move, so that it's on your terms and not theirs."

"Well, thanks for all your helpful advice," Damon said dryly. "But we have a rescue mission to plan. Come on, Stefan," he said, walking towards the door. Stefan followed him hesitantly.

Julia stood up. "Damon, we want to help, we do. Don't do something stupid or reckless, or you're going to get you all killed. Just stop and think, and let us help you."

Damon slammed the front door behind him.

_**~LMF~**_

*Hailey*

I had been drifting in and out of consciousness the entire. I had been imagining Damon's face, and it calmed me down, enough to realize that we weren't out of options.

We still had Nicolai.

I imagined that they had forbidden him from visiting us, since the last time they attacked, he saved my life. I shared my thoughts with Elena, and she agreed with me. "You're right, but he'll see us eventually. The pull will be too strong," she said.

As if predicting the future, twenty minutes later I heard the door creak open. I looked up to see Nicolai staring down at me. "Nico," I whispered hoarsely, and he flinched slightly.

"I shouldn't be here," he said, acting like Elena wasn't in the room. "But I had to see you." He walked closer to me.

"I know, and I'm glad that you're here. I needed to see you," I told him, hoping that I wasn't laying it on too thick.

Nicolai looked a little surprised, but walked even closer to me. His fingers brushed my cheek, and I tried not to shudder. I pretended that it was Damon, as I stuck out my chest slightly, and bit my lip. I was trying to seduce Nicolai into letting us go, but I still felt guilty, like I was cheating on Damon.

"They're going to kill me Nico," I whimpered. "Don't let them kill me."

Nico looked torn, as Elena raised her eyebrows behind him. I didn't look at her, and just hoped that she understood what I was trying to do. "I'll let you go," Nicolai whispered suddenly. I looked up at him, surprised.

"You will?" I asked, wondering who he meant by "you."

"I'll let both of you," he clarified, looking determined now. "On one condition.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Let me change you into a vampire, so that we can be together forever."

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: OBSESSEDwithPOWERS, Stefanie, Chella8181, Samantha meyers, Sydney, jacquline, SomebodyWhoCares, Kimmy W. Smith, and vdemily for reviewing!

Review!

~Abby :)


	61. the revelation

**Chapter sixty**

**The revelation**

*Hailey*

For one split second, I considered telling him "yes," and letting Elena go, while I was damned to an eternity with Nicolai. But then Damon popped into my mind- I was supposed to spend my eternity with him, not Nicolai.

I looked at Elena, knowing that I would throw away forever with Damon for her. but Elena had her own game plan. "If you truly loved Hailey, you'd want her to be happy without you. You wouldn't bribe her into spending forever with you," Elena told him. _Shut the hell up, _I told her with my eyes, but she ignored me.

Nicolai turned to look at her, anger obvious in his brown eyes. "You don't love Hailey, Nicolai. You love Victoria, and just want Hailey for who she looks like. That's not real love. Deep down, you know it too," Elena continued.

Nicolai glared at her with cold fury. "You don't know what you're talking about!" he snapped, before his hands were around Elena's throat.

"No!" I screamed, as Elena gasped for air. "Stop, Nicolai! Stop it!"

Suddenly, he was across the room, breathing heavily. Elena gasped, and I struggled to get to her. Nicolai watched as I felt like I was walking through cement to get to Elena. I collapsed against her, and she hugged me tightly.

"The offer still stands," he said coldly, before leaving and slamming the door behind him. I glared at the spot where he stood seconds ago, knowing that there was no way I could spend forever with him.

_**~LMF~**_

*Damon*

"I told you Stefan, I'll distract the tomb vampires, and you get the girls," Damon insisted, pacing their living room.

Stefan was reluctant to agree to his brother's plan. "I don't know if it's good enough," he said, though he was willing to walk through fire to get Elena back.

"You've never seen me distract before," Damon said, no humor in his eyes. for the first time, Stefan noticed how dead they looked.

"There's a good chance that I won't get in back to help you, and you'll die," Stefan insisted. He didn't want Damon to die, though he'd never say it out loud.

Damon was silent. Stefan suddenly realized that Damon was fully aware that he'd probably die if they went through with his plan, and he didn't care. "It's our best chance, Stefan," Damon insisted, and his brother silently agreed with him.

"Fine, but just remember Hailey and how she'd react before you do anything suicidal," Stefan said, before leaving the room.

Damon remembered his Hailey. He could picture her reaction- she'd feel guilty as hell, since he would have basically died for her. she'd be pissed too- he could imagine her yelling at him and telling him that'd she'd kill him if he weren't already dead.

Damon would like to think that she'd cry over him, that Hailey would be upset and sad. But he didn't expect much, after what he'd put her through in their dysfunctional relationship. She'd always said that she loved him, but would she be just a little relieved- just a little bit- that he was gone for good?

Damon shook his head. He didn't want to know the answer to his own question. Instead, he walked to the fridge and got a bag of blood. He needed to be strong if he had any hope of making it out alive tonight.

He hoped that he'd make it out alive, mostly for Hailey. Though, he'd die tonight, if it meant that she'd live.

_**~LMF~**_

It was night as I stretched out on the uncomfortable bed. I had my broken arm tied to my chest in a makeshift cast- which was really just ripped t-shirt. Elena was silent, and I couldn't tell if she was asleep or not.

Through the walls, I heard a sudden commotion, like something was happening. I was scared- did they get Stefan and Damon? I was left to my fears, as my heart pounded in my chest. almost ten minutes later, the door creaked open.

I looked up to see Nicolai, looking smug. I saw that Elena was awake, and she stared up at him with a mix of curiosity and fear. "I thought that you should know," he said to me, "That Damon Salvatore is no more. And his brother isn't far behind him," he added to Elena.

I felt destroyed at that instant, like I was dead. Nothing else mattered at that moment. Nothing. I felt as if the news had knocked the wind out of me.

_No. no. no. no. no. no. no. no._

That's all that I could think, all that I could feel. It wasn't possible. I would've felt it. I would've felt it, I would've felt something. I couldn't cry- I felt too numb, too dead to even feel anymore. Elena watched me, sympathy clouding her eyes. I couldn't look at her. she didn't know how I felt. Stefan was still alive.

I stared coldly up at Nicolai. "I don't care if I die anymore. I don't care if you kill me yourself. I just want you to know that I don't love you, and I never, ever will. Your friends, the rest of the tomb vamps, just killed the only man I will ever love. So just leave me to be in my own misery," I said in an emotionless tone.

The numbness left me, and soon cold, harsh pain took its place. A sob erupted from my throat, as I struggled to comprehend that my Damon was dead. It didn't seem plausible, real. When I closed my eyes, I pictured him sitting in the boarding house, a glass of bourbon in his hand. He was still alive, he had to be.

Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I covered my mouth with my hand to hold my cries in. I didn't want to cry in front of Nicolai and the rest of the tomb vampires. I didn't want to give them the pleasure. I was torn between curling up into a ball and never returning to the real world, and seeking out the exact vampire that took Damon from me, and making him suffer before I finally killed him. I wanted to do both so badly.

As Nicolai watched the woman he had convinced himself that he loved shake silently with tears shed for another man that hadn't died- yet- he realized something.

Everyone was right. He didn't love Hailey Anne Ellis. Not really.

At the thought of Hailey Ellis dying, he felt only an empty, hollow pang at his heart. He only felt that because she was his only connection to Victoria, and if Hailey died, that connection would be lost forever.

He didn't feel that heart-wrenching, life-ending, lose-all-meaning-to-life pain that this girl obviously felt. He hadn't felt that since Victoria, and he would never feel that pain again. He wouldn't feel it for the young fairy in front of him.

The thought of having nothing to love anymore hurt more than the thought of losing Hailey Ellis, the girl he was convinced was the object of his desires. She wasn't though, she was just his desperate attempt to hold onto Victoria. but Victoria was gone forever.

Nicolai couldn't explain his actions following his revelation even if he wanted to. It was as if he was as if he had no control over his body anymore, like he was possessed.

Nico ripped the ropes binding Elena to her chair off. then he walked over to Hailey, bit his wrist, and forced his blood into her mouth. She gasped and struggled, but then Nicolai hissed, "He's alive! I lied! He alive!"

Hailey accidently swallowed a mouthful of his blood, and stared blankly up at him. Nicolai didn't look at her or at Elena. He just walked out of the room and shut the door behind him, leaving the doppelganger and the fairy gaping after him.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **god, the thought of this story ending makes me super sad, but we only have four chapters left! Sigh…

Thank you to: SomebodyWhoCares, jacquline, vdemily, KimmyWSmith, Ravenator, Stefanie, Kelsey, CharlotteAHJones, and Samantha meyers for reviewing!

Review!

~Abby :)


	62. the clearing

**Chapter sixty one**

**The clearing**

*Hailey*

After Nicolai left, I felt his blood start to heal me. My broken arm healed, and I felt energized again. I struggled to understand everything. Less than five minutes ago, I thought that Damon was dead. And now Nicolai admitted that he was still alive. It was too much to handle in such a sort amount of time.

Elena stared at me, shocked and not knowing what to do. I soon snapped out of my thoughts, and focused on the situation at hand. We had to get out of here, and I knew that we would have to fight. I grabbed Elena's hand, and pulled her towards the door with me. I put a finger to my lips, and then put my ear against the hollow wooden door. I couldn't hear anything.

I eased the door open to reveal an empty living room. Someone had gotten the tomb vamps out of the small cottage, and I knew exactly who. Two brothers who were going to get themselves killed for Elena and me.

Quietly, I walked out of the room, pulling Elena with me. We both scanned the cottage for vampires, but we seemed to be alone. Or so I thought.

"Hailey, look out!" Elena exclaimed, and I looked up just in time to see a vampire lunge at me. On instinct, I raised my hands and sent him into wall and held him there. I broke a leg off of a chair telekinetically and sent it into his chest. I didn't bother to watch the nameless vampire die, I just tore another leg off of the chair, and Elena and I sprinted out of the cottage.

It was pitch black outside and raining down on us hard. We ran into the woods, looking for Stefan and Damon. They couldn't be too far away. But outside was where all the vampires seemed to be. There had to be dozens.

I was waving my hands frantically; throwing them away from us, staking them, ripping body parts off. It was slowing us down. "Elena, go on without me!" I screamed at her, as she tried to stake the vampires I held down.

"Are you crazy?" she shouted over the thunder.

I shouted out in pain as a vampire lunged for my neck, his teeth just scraping my neck. I kicked him away and held him still as Elena staked him. There were too many for us, and I was losing energy fast.

"Go! Get Stefan and Damon. They have to be around here somewhere," I shouted at her, breathing heavily, taking a short break just as more vampires noticed us and the heap of dead vampires surrounding us. Elena and I were putting up a hell of a fight.

"GO!" I screamed, putting all my power and energy into sending the small army of vampires running at us flying away, so that Elena could run without being stopped.

With another look at me, Elena took off into the woods. I killed a few that started to run after her, before running in the opposite direction. My heart pounded in my chest and my lungs burned as I struggled to breath. My energy was draining almost too fast- I had never used this much at once before.

I sprinted into a small clearing, forcing myself to keep running. I never stopped waving my hands at the swarm of vampires attacking me. Every now and then, one would get a good hit at me, leaving me bruised and with cuts that bled out my blood. It just drove the vampires even crazier.

It was hard to see through the rain. It was hard to see what to aim for and what to dodge, through the sheets of rain raining down. As I gasped loudly for air, my lungs and chest feeling like they were on fire, a vampire suddenly lunged for my neck and sunk their fangs into my jugular. I cried out in pain, and then felt more teeth sink into my flesh. The blood loss just made my energy drop even faster.

I felt this pressure- this power- build up inside of me. It was something that I had never felt before. I took a deep breath, and then let it out. All the vampires flew off of me and disintegrated in midair. I gasped and started shaking out of coldness and exhaustion. I was alone- but for how long?

Suddenly, my knees gave out, and I fell to the ground. That all too familiar feeling of having absolutely no strength engulfed me. I felt my eyelids droop, as I slipped and fell down a rocky hillside. The rain and mud washed me down. I felt every sharp jab of pain as rocks stabbed into me. It wasn't over until I hit the bottom.

And then I felt nothing when I let blissful unconsciousness take me over.

*Elena*

Elena ran through the woods as fast as she could. She didn't know if the vampires were chasing her or not, and she didn't have any superpowers to defend herself with. She felt terrible, leaving her best friend behind. But Hailey was right, it would be faster if Elena ran and got Stefan and Damon, while she distracted the tomb vampires.

The rain poured down on her, and Elena felt like her lungs were on fire, she was running so hard. But she didn't slow down. She had to get to the Salvatore brothers. She finally slowed down near a clearing, and gasped for air. She heard noises coming from the clearing, and walked out from behind a wall of trees to see what was happening.

She watched in amazement as Damon and Stefan took on an army of vampires all by themselves.

Damon was shouting at Stefan, but he was ignoring his older brother. Stefan looked around after killing a vampire, to see Elena watching him. The way Stefan looked at Elena when he saw her was one that made her heart melt. It was like the sun had finally come out after centuries of darkness. Suddenly, Stefan was at Elena's side, and he pulled her into his arms, hugging her to his chest.

Stefan had his Elena back, but Damon's Hailey was still MIA.

*Damon*

Damon literally ripped the tomb vampires apart. He found strength in the possibility of finally getting his Hailey back. The tomb vampires had to be creating new ones by the boat load, because there seemed to have an army of vampires- and they had already been thinned out before.

Damon wanted Stefan to leave and go save the girls, but his brother refused to leave. They were wasting their only chance. "Stefan, _go," _Damon growled at him, as he easily ripped the head off of a tomb vampire.

Stefan ignored him, but then suddenly disappeared. Damon wasn't too worried, especially when he saw his target standing across the field, the one he had promised death.

Markus.

Damon ran at the older vampire, but he easily dodged him. Despite the age gap, Damon's anger and desperation fueled him. Markus was the reason that Hailey was taken from him. Markus was shocked by how well Damon rebounded from his attacks, and his surprise was just the opening that Damon needed. He managed to get Markus by the neck, and Damon slammed him against the grounded.

Damon raised his hand to rip Markus' heart out, when he was suddenly distracted. "Damon, we need to go-Hailey needs you."

Damon's head snapped around to face his brother, who was holding Elena tightly. They were across the battlefield, their gaze focused on him. Where was Hailey?

Suddenly, he was slammed against the ground, and watched helplessly as Markus ran away. Damon cursed himself, before getting up. He could've just ended it all, but his heart got in the way.

His stupid, god forsaken heart.

Damon hated himself, as he ran across the clearing to Stefan and Elena. "Where is she?" he growled at them. Elena stammered out a vague location, and then he took off.

As he ran, all he saw where dead vampire bodies. He didn't pay them any mind, and kept searching for Hailey. He entered a small clearing where the dead body trail ended. But a blood trail began in its place.

Damon inhaled the very familiar scent, and his heart wrenched. Hailey's blood. He followed the scent to a muddy hillside, his eyes scanning for his fairy.

At first, Damon didn't see anything at the bottom of the hill. But then he noticed that the small mud pile at the bottom had long black hair, and Hailey's scent radiated off of it. He knew that he was looking at his Hailey.

Damon gently picked up Hailey's bruised and battered body, and searched for a heartbeat. A faint one met his ears. He sighed in relief, before biting his wrist, and forced her to swallow some of his blood. After Damon was done, he held Hailey bridal style in his arms, and took her home.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you to: Kelsey, SomebodyWhoCares, jacquline, Stefanie, Samantha meyers, KimmyWSmith, and Ravenator for reviewing!

Let's keep up with the awesome reviewing!

~Abby ;)


	63. the final battle

**Chapter sixty two**

**The final battle**

*Hailey*

I felt something rough like sandpaper lick my face, and opened my eyes to see Ellie's face an inch from mine. she meowed happily, and then purred. Rubbed her face against mine, and I laughed hoarsely and scratched her behind her ears. I slowly pushed myself into a sitting position, my entire body sore. I was in my bed, the familiar scent of Damon mixed with my scent was all over the blankets, sheets, and pillows.

I looked around our room to see Damon standing in front of the bed, his back to me. I could tell by his stance that something was wrong. I got out of our bed, and walked to him, my body aching.

"Damon?" I asked gently, reaching out to touch him.

He whirled around before my hand could come in contact with his shoulder. I saw how tired he looked, how empty his blue eyes were. Damon didn't say anything as he pulled me into his arms, holding me tight against him. I buried my face into his chest, remembering with a sharp jab in my heart, how it felt when I thought that I lost him.

But then Damon pulled away from me, and broodily left the room. I frowned, and followed him out like a lost puppy. We were alone in the boarding house and I followed Damon down to the living room. When I got down the stairs, he was staring into the fire, a bottle of scotch in his hand.

"What's wrong, Damon?" I asked as I shivered slightly and walked closer to the fire.

He didn't answer, and I walked closer to him. I was starting to get worried. "You almost died," he blurted out finally. Damon took a long sip from his bottle. He had this empty, hollow, un-Damon-like look on his face that I didn't like at all.

Damon turned and looked sharply at me. "And what is that? Like the twentieth time? It seems like every other day, your life is on the line and I can never stop it!" he threw his bottle into the fire with a smash, and the fire grew wildly.

"Damon!" I exclaimed, a little frightened. I went to grab him, but he pulled out of my reach.

"I could've ended it too. I was so close to killing Markus, and then I found out that you were hurt, and I just-" he cut himself off, and stared up at him with concern.

"I let my feelings get in the way- I let my humanity get in the way. That's not good, Hailey. It's going to get everyone killed," he muttered, turning his back to me again.

I went to hug Damon. he pulled away, but I ignored it and pulled him to me. he didn't return my hug, but I just rested my head in his shoulder. "If it weren't for you Damon, I'd be very dead right now- you have saved me from dying, more than I've ever saved myself. I never really knew this inhuman Damon who didn't feel, but I hear that he was a real dick, so I don't miss him at all. We'll kill Markus sooner or later, and I'll even let you do the honors." I smiled into his shirt.

Damon sighed, and finally wrapped his arms around me. he rested his chin on top of my head, and I closed my eyes in contentment.

"I'm still a dick," he mumbled into my hair.

"Yeah, but instead of being a soulless dick, you're just a dick now- that's an improvement," I mumbled back into his shirt.

Damon chuckled, before removing his head so that he could kiss me. it started out slow and soft, but almost immediately gained passion and heat. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around his neck. I let all of my fear over losing Damon wash away, as the kissing started to turn rough and lustful. I let him push me down onto the couch, and sighed in pleasure as Damon literally ripped my clothes off of me. my body was already sore, but I needed sex with Damon, and he needed it just as much as I did.

_**~LMF~**_

I woke up to sunlight streaming onto my face. I groaned softly and shut my eyes again tightly. My head was on Damon's chest, and I felt his arms tighten around my waist when he realized that I was awake.

"I love you," he told me simply, pushing my messy hair out of my face.

I smiled slightly, and opened my eyes. both of us were completely naked. I sat up in our bed, and kissed Damon softly. I knew why he was telling me this randomly- I thought that he was dead for five minutes, the longest and most painful five minutes of my life. I didn't want him to die without him knowing how much I loved him.

"I guess I love you too," I smirked slightly.

Damon rolled his eyes playfully at me, before pulling me into another kiss. Suddenly, white-hot pain filed up my head, familiar white-hot pain. I gasped out and pulled away from Damon. he instantly knew what was happening as I clutched my head. He held me and waited impatiently for my vision to be over. It was quick, just flashes. Being on vervain for a couple of days had messed up my visions.

I saw the cemetery. It was night time, maybe midnight, or so. It was slightly foggy. There were vampires fighting, tomb vampires. The cemetery must've been their first choice for a battlefield. I caught glimpses of Damon, Stefan, Julia, and Zane. I even saw a flash of bright green eyes, shut tight in pain. But it only lasted half a second.

I gasped and blinked slowly. It was over. I looked up into familiar blue eyes, and rubbed my temples, as the pain slowly receded. "It's happening tonight," I stated, closing my eyes.

"What is?"

"The final battle, or whatever you want to call it," I answered, opening my eyes again.

"Where?" Damon asked, a serious frown on his lips.

"The cemetery- of course. The tomb vamps must think that it's dramatic. I think that it's cheesy. I think around midnight, eleven thirty maybe. It's going to be foggy." I sighed and stretched my arms.

"Did you happen to see who wins?" Damon asked, tense.

It was at that moment that it actually occurred to me, that this was life or death, that my friends and I might be dying tonight. I gulped slightly, hoping that Damon didn't notice my sudden fear. "The vervain messed with my visions- it was all blurry and in bits and pieces. We have more hope now though. Their numbers are low, it's more of a fair fight."

Damon nodded, as I got out of bed and slipped on his shirt. Damon got out of bed too, and he walked towards his bathroom, completely naked. I openly checked him out, and he smirked at me. "Come on, show time," he told me, pulling me towards the bathroom with him.

I giggled slightly. "Then we should probably go alert the rest of the power rangers that we have to go kick some tomb vampire ass," Damon continued.

I let him pull me into the bathroom, and Damon unbuttoned his shirt on me. "You're going to lock me in a closet tonight, aren't you?" I asked.

"I would, but you would just break the door down with your super powers before I could even barricade you in," he told me, letting his shirt slide off of my bare shoulders.

I smirked, as Damon's lips latched onto mine. he knew me too well.

_**~LMF~**_

I was in Elena's bedroom, pacing. My nerves were getting the best of me, as I thought about losing my friends tonight- about losing Damon. Elena came out of the bathroom, looking as if she had just vomited. I wasn't the only one with nerves. "You nervous, Hailey?" she asked.

"Nervous? I don't do nervous, Elena," I dismissed, hoping that the lie reached my eyes.

Elena gave me a look that made it clear that she thought I was full of shit. I felt a pang in my chest as I watched my best friend pull her hair up into a pony tail- she was the weakest out of all of us, the most vulnerable. I couldn't let her get hurt, get killed, tonight. I'd rather have my heart ripped out.

Suddenly Damon's words came back to me, about how he wanted to lock me in a closet so that I wouldn't have to fight. I bite my lip as a plan formed in my mind. "Hey Elena, can you go get me the brush?" I asked her.

Elena rolled her eyes at my laziness, but went back into the bathroom, unsuspecting. With a wave of my hand, both door slammed shut. "Hailey!" Elena shouted, trying to get the door open, but it was pointless.

I can't let you fight Elena, I'm sorry," I sighed, as I barricaded both bathroom doors.

"How can you expect me just to sit here while the people I love might be dying?" Elena asked fiercely.

"It'll be much easier to fight without having to worry about the human, Elena," I told her honestly, before leaving her room.

Damon and Stefan were in the kitchen and didn't seem surprised when I walked down the stairs without Elena. "You locked her in her bathroom?" Stefan asked, amused.

"Please, if I didn't you would've," I dismissed as Damon smirked at me.

"I was going to," Stefan admitted, as I shrugged my jacket on.

I smirked at him as I checked the time. Quarter to eleven. We had to go meet Zane and Julia at the cemetery. "Shall we?" Damon asked, opening the door for me.

I sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be," I mumbled, walking out the door. I pretended that I was fine, that I wasn't scared.

I'm not nearly as good at pretending as I think I am.

_**~LMF~**_

I was crouching behind a giant angel with Damon, as the fog floated around our ankles. It was all very horror movie-ish. "Are your spidey senses tingling yet?" Damon whispered.

I rolled my eyes at him. "They should be here soon," I whispered back, my hand finding his.

Suddenly, nausea rolled through me, but I sort of expected it. "They're here!" I announced bluntly, not only to Damon, but to the three vampires around us.

I jumped up from behind the angel, and sent a vampire flying before he could attack. It was hard to see through the fog, but I counted around twenty vampires, which I was semi-confident that we could take.

I retreated to the edge of the forest- which Damon and I had compromised to- and I watched him disappear in the fog. I spotted Stefan fighting a vampire, and held her still for him. that was my job- to hold vampires still and allow the others to kill them.

Soon I was alone and I just heard the fight, I couldn't see anything. It drove me crazy, not knowing what was happening. Suddenly, I felt a hand around my neck and a familiar voice whispered into my ear, "I told you that I'd be the one to kill you."

Candace bit into my neck, and I screamed out in pain. My eyes closed shut as I struggled to get away. Suddenly, Candace was off of me, and I turned around in time to see Julia rip her head off.

I smiled morbidly at her in thanks. Julia saluted me before disappearing into the fight. I walked away from Candace's head and back into the fight, just in time to see Stefan and Damon take on Markus. Most of the other vampires were dead, and Julia and Zane were taking care of the leftovers. But Markus was still alive and kicking, and too much for the brothers.

I moved to help them, but suddenly Markus froze, a hole forming in his chest. he fell to the ground, and Nicolai stood behind him, holding his heart.

Nicolai looked directly at me and I saw the sadness in his eyes. I moved over to Damon to keep him from attacking. "I'm not going to attack," he told us, dropping Markus' heart.

"I'm leaving town," he continued. "I just thought that you all should know that there was a woman Markus was taking orders from. I never met her- only Markus had. I only know that she was from 1864, and that she wants Hailey and Elena dead."

No one said anything, but I found Damon's' hand. It was over- finally, it was over.

Nicolai looked one last time at me, before disappearing into the fog. That was the last time I ever saw him.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **two more left! I'm going to try to update again tonight. I have surprises for you guys, but I can't tell you until this story's over ;)

Thank you to: Kelsey, Rejected-Starr, SomebodyWhoCares, and jacquline for reviewing!

Reviews are appreciated!

~Abby :)


	64. love is a bitch and so are you

**Chapter sixty three**

**Love is a bitch and so are you**

*Hailey*

A week later, I was sitting in the Mystic Grill, finishing off my nachos and nursing a glass of bourbon. The fact that it was over was hard to immediately accept. It seemed too good to be true, that I didn't have to be on my guard all the time. It was nice, though.

There was still that woman out there, mystery boss number four. She knew me and Elena, and wanted both of us dead, but we would cross that bridge when we came to it. Zane and Julia left town yesterday, and I was sad to see them go. Julia and I were friends, and Zane was growing on me.

As I paid my bill, I thought about my and Damon's plans for our future. We hadn't exactly set a date, but I knew that it would be coming up soon, since everything was over now. I was excited to be a vampire, to be with Damon, but it was impossible not to be a little afraid.

I finished my bourbon, and then pulled out my phone to call Damon to give me a ride home. But then I saw Elena a few tables away, and put my phone away. "Elena!" I shouted, waving her over.

Elena's eyes snapped over to me, and I got a good look at her. She didn't look like the usual Elena. Her hair was curly, and she was in dark skinny jeans, leather boots, and a leather jacket. Not the like Elena at all, but I liked it.

She walked over to me, and I saw something shift in her eyes as she took me in. "Hey Hailey," she said, as I stood up.

"Are you leaving soon? I need a ride home," I said, putting on my jacket.

"Yeah, we can go now," she told me in an unusually cool voice, and she walked towards the door.

We walked to her car, and I got into the passenger seat while she started it. I noticed a new ring on her finger and said, "That's pretty, when did you get it?"

"I dug it out of my closet," she replied, moving her hand away.

I furrowed my eyebrows as she drove towards the boarding house, and played with the radio dial. "So, how are you and Damon?" she asked, and I raised an eyebrow. Elena never really asked about us, unless I talked about it first.

"Amazing," I said with a slight smile. "We'll probably do the change sometime soon."

"What change?" Elena asked, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Into a vampire? Remember Elena?" I asked, wondering why she was acting so weird.

"Oh, right," she said through gritted teeth. I was still confused, but I didn't say anything as my phone vibrated. It was a text message…

…from Elena.

_Hey, want to hang out today? I'm at the boarding house._

I quickly texted her back, not knowing how to process what was happening. _Elena?_

I shot glances at "Elena," who raised an eyebrow at me.

"Who're you texting?" she asked casually.

"Just Caroline- Matt troubles," I lied, as my phone vibrated again.

_Who else?_

My stomach dropped. And I bit my lip. _I'm in the car with you. Right now._

It didn't take long for her to respond. _Hailey, get out of the car right now. Damon's on his way. That's not me, its-_

I didn't have to read the entire text message to know that I was in the car with Katherine.

*Damon*

Damon walked down the stairs and into the living room. He was waiting for Hailey to get home. They really had to talk about her becoming a vampire. Damon had no cold feet about changing her, but thought that she might. Damon didn't want to force her.

He saw Stefan and Elena in the living room, as he walked into the kitchen for some blood. "Oh my god," Elena said suddenly.

"What?" Stefan asked.

"Hailey says that she's in the car with me," Elena explained with wide eyes.

Damon froze, but then suddenly appeared next to his brother. "Katherine's back, about damn time," he said, scared for his Hailey.

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked, looking just as worried for Hailey as Damon did.

"I figured that she might show up soon- she might even be mystery boss number four," he said, trying thinking up a quick plan.

"Tell Hailey to get out of that car at all costs. I'm going to go get her before Katherine can lay a slutty little claw on her," he told Elena, before disappearing from the house.

*Hailey*

I tried to think up an escape plan, but then Katherine pulled to the side of the road. "It seems that you figured out who I am, Hailey. Too bad, we didn't even get to have any real fun." She pouted.

Suddenly, Katherine was at my door, and she yanked me out of the car by my hair. I yelped as she dragged me into the forest. Once we were deep enough in, she pushed me into a tree, hard, and I had the wind knocked out of me.

"Do you want me to explain ever thing to you, Hailey?" she smirked.

I gasped for air. "I already know it all, Katherine. You're the mastermind behind the whole tomb vamp plot."

"Mastermind might be a little too kind- they had the plan, I just organized." She smirked.

"With the condition that Elena, Damon, Stefan, and I were on their hit list," I said, leaning against the tree.

"Partly true- you and Elena needed to die, I wanted the Salvatores alive," she clarified.

My eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

"Don't you get it, Hailey? It was always supposed to be us. Certain things got in the way of that, but I'm a jealous person, you see."

"You still love them?" I whispered, it all coming together.

"Correct, Hailey. You're smarter than people give you credit for." She smirked.

"Thing is, Kat, you're too busy loving yourself to love anyone else." I smirked back.

Katherine glared, before slamming me against a tree. "You know, I know that Stefan's in love with my doppelganger- that speaks for itself- but I always figured that Damon would remain loyal. Then you come around, and I just figured that he wanted a new toy, and you're a tasty one. But then I hear that he's changing you- I can't let that happen, Hailey. I find you interesting, but I don't share."

Her hands wrapped themselves around my neck, and I braced myself to hear the crack that would kill me. But then I heard the sweetest voice ever.

"Katherine?"

She let go of me, and turned around to face Damon, who was just watching us. I bit my lip, breathing heavily as Damon glanced at me, but then focused on Katherine. "You know, you don't have to kill her. It was never a hard choice, Katherine. It's always been you."

Katherine smirked victoriously as my heart broke into pieces. How could he say that? After everything? As Damon walked towards Katherine, he mouthed, "Run," to me, before I saw his hand strike like lightning.

But Katherine threw him across the woods before he could stake her. I jumped into action, realizing now that his earlier words were just an act. I threw all my energy at Katherine, and she flew away from me, as Damon returned.

"Run!" he hissed at me.

Looking into his eyes, I realized that this was one time not to argue with Damon. I took off running back the way we came, just as Katherine lunged herself at Damon. I heard them fight as I ran. I didn't want to leave Damon, but I knew that Stefan would be there soon to help him.

"Don't. Move."

Suddenly, I stopped sprinting, to turn around and face my mother. My heart skipped a beat, and my eyes widened. She was pointing a gun straight at me. I raised my hands in surrender, and slowly backed away from her.

"I cannot believe that my own _daughter _is a _vampire!" _she screeched, as my heart started pounding away in my chest. The hands holding the gun pointed at me weren't even shaking.

"Mom-" I started to say, but she cut me off with a hate-filled glare.

"Enough, Hailey. I'm going to end our family's disgrace right now," she told me, her gray eyes absolutely cold.

I heard the shot before I felt it. It was a loud boom that hurt my ears. And then there was a burning in my chest. The pain was unimaginable, I've never felt anything so bad in my life. I fell to the floor, my hand covering the hole in my chest.

My mother stared down at me, no remorse in her eyes. I stared up at her, tears in my eyes. How could she do this to me? To her own daughter? I started coughing up my blood, as I moaned out in pain.

I lay out across the ground, not bothering to look up to see if my mother was still there. I needed  
>Damon. He needed to turn me now, so that we could be together forever. It couldn't end like this. I couldn't die.<p>

"D-Damon," I whispered out hoarsely, my blood leaking out between my fingers. I was going to bleed out soon. And I slowly started to realize that I was going to die.

"I love you so much..." I whispered, before closing my eyes.

*Damon*

He managed to hold back Katherine from gouging out his eyes, just as he heard a loud noise, like a gunshot. Katherine smirked victoriously at him, before suddenly disappearing. Damon frowned, bemused. What was going on?

Damon made his way towards where he heard the gunshot, concern growing into outright fear. He ran faster, but he wasn't fast enough. He smelled the blood at the same time he saw Holly Ellis walking towards him, a gun in her hand.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together.

"_No," _he growled, his eyes widening. She wouldn't. Hailey was her _daughter._

Before Holly could even blink, Damon snapped her neck. Then he ran as fast as he could towards the blood. There was so much _blood. _And right in the middle of all that sweet smelling blood was Hailey.

"No, no, no," he repeated, unwilling to believe it.

Damon hurried to Hailey's side, and he pulled her into his arms. There was no heartbeat, and her green eyes stare blankly up at the sky. "No, goddammit," Damon growled. He bit his wrist, and put it to Hailey's mouth. Even if it wouldn't heal her, he could turn her.

But Hailey didn't swallow it. It was too late.

Damon shook his head fiercely, and pulled Hailey into his arms. He refused to believe it. She couldn't be dead. She couldn't leave him. "Come on, Hailey," he gritted his teeth, trying to get her to drink his blood.

Tears ran down Damon's cheeks, as the truth finally sunk in. he couldn't deny it. He couldn't save Hailey. Not this time.

"Hailey, no…" he whispered, his heart breaking. He clutched her to him, willing her to come back to life. To wake up and say that it was just a sick joke.

But she wouldn't. Damon closed his eyes against his tears, and placed a soft kiss against her cold, bloody lips. God, he loved her. He never told her that enough. And he loved her so damn much.

Finally, Damon opened his eyes, and forced himself to face the cold, heartbreaking, terrible news.

Hailey Ellis was dead.

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **oh, god. I cried while writing this. I hope you cried. One more chapter left.

Thank you to: Lady Syndra, Samantha meyers, vdemily, KimmyWSmith, and Kelsey for reviewing.

~Abby :'(


	65. what's dead doesn't always stay dead

**Chapter sixty four**

**What's dead doesn't always stay dead**

*Damon*

The twenty four hours following Hailey's death were the most painful twenty four hours in Damon's life. It was his fault that she was dead, he knew. If he had just ran faster, he could've saved her.

Damon didn't know how long he was in the middle of the woods, cradling Hailey's body to him, begging her to come back. Eventually, he stood up and carried her back to the boarding house. When Elena saw Hailey in his arms, the bullet hole in her chest, she didn't believe it at first. But then the tears came, and Damon was forced to watch Hailey's best friend sob into his brother's chest.

Damon wanted Elena to be mad at him, to blame him for Hailey. It was his fault. But Elena didn't. She saw in his eyes that he was feeling the pain of Hailey's death a thousand times stronger than she was. She didn't say anything to him, but when she went to take Hailey from him, Damon gave her a menacing glare. Hailey wasn't leaving his arms anytime soon.

Eventually, Damon was forced to put Hailey down. Besides the blood, bullet wound, and paleness, he could almost pretend that she was asleep, that she wasn't gone forever. He put her gently down in the basement, and he kissed her forehead before he left. When he walked back up to the living room, Elena was still sobbing into Stefan's chest. Suddenly, Hailey's memory in the boarding house was suffocating. Damon had to leave. He couldn't bear watching Elena cry anymore, and he needed to get to a place that didn't remind him of Hailey.

Damon settled for a cliff near the edge of time. He considered jumping off of it, just to make the empty, raw pain eating him alive go away. But he would heal, he'd still have to live with the pain and the guilt and the loss. He would have to live with them forever.

Losing the person you loved more than anything brought you unimaginable pain. It was the kind of pain that never went away. It haunted you until the day you died. It ate you alive, made you feel dead. You could never recover from pain like that, you could only pretend.

Damon stayed at the cliff all night, letting the pain eat him alive. Just as the sun was rising, he got a phone call. He almost expected to hear Hailey on the other line, but then with an ache in his heart, he knew that it was probably just Stefan.

"What?" he asked in a dead sort of voice.

"_Thant's not a very polite way to greet somebody, Damon,"_ a haughty voice trilled in his ear.

It could've been Elena's voice, but the cold, arrogant tone made it very clear who it was. "Katherine," he growled fury and loathing washing over the raw pain inside of him.

"_Still mourning over that fairy, I assume. Be careful Damon- that's very human of you."_

"What could you possibly want, Katherine?" Damon asked coldly. It was Katherine's fault that Hailey was dead, almost as much as his. Though Holly pulled the trigger, and Damon wished he had done more to her then just snapped her neck.

"_You."_

"Bullshit. 146 years of history seems to show the opposite. In 1864, you were cheating on me with my brother, and then you avoided me for the next century and a half."

"_Maybe so, but it's possible to love two people at once," _Katherine argued. _"But that's not the point. I just wanted to offer my condolences."_

"Bullshit," Damon repeated. "You _wanted _Hailey dead; you were going to kill her."

"_I don't share, Damon. You were mine once, you still are. Besides, I'm the jealous type," _Katherine told him.

Damon resisted the urge to tell the bitch off. He wasn't hers. His heart would always belong to Hailey. "What are you say?" Damon asked suspiciously.

"_I always have a plan B,"_ she said proudly. "_Just in case I couldn't kill the little bitch myself, I compelled her mother into thinking that her daughter was a vampire- I thought that it would be dramatic."_

Damon's eyes widened. Katherine was more at fault than he had originally thought. "I'm going to kill you," he growled dangerously.

"_Don't be that way, Damon,"_ she sighed.

"I'm going to rip you limb from limb. I'm gonna rip your heart out and shove it down your throat," he continued, letting his anger take over.

"_You can't Damon," _Katherine said, and he thought that he heard a speck of concern in her voice. _"You love me."_

"I thought I did, not even too long ago. But the thing is, I'm not _capable _of love anymore, Katherine. That part of me died with Hailey."

"_Well, good luck with that Damon. I'm not even in the country anymore."_

Damon rolled his eyes. "I have all of eternity to kill you, Katherine. The beauty of it is that you'll never know when I'm coming for you," he told her before hanging up.

That was his next obsession, kill his last obsession. It might get him through a century or two, but he couldn't run from the pain forever. He couldn't run from Hailey forever. He didn't know what to do without Hailey. He didn't know how to handle his pain.

Damon went back to the boarding house, knowing his next plan. Thankfully, the sobbing Elena was gone. When he went up to his room, a new round of pain jolted him. All of Hailey's' belongings were still in his room, and he tried not to look at them.

He started packing up all of things. He had a plane to catch. He packed only the necessities, like clothes. Whenever he accidently touched one of Hailey's things, he jumped away like it had burned him. Her scent still filled up his room- vanilla and flowers.

Suddenly, the image of Hailey sobbing in his arms for the first time popped into his dead. It was right after Ava died, and she had clutched him to her like he was a flotation device and she was going to drown without him.

Damon jumped and blinked the memory away. It gave his pain intensity- Hailey was an adorable crier, if there was such a thing. He began to pack again, feeling sick. He didn't want to remember any more of his memories with Hailey. But his mind wasn't going to let that happen.

Damon saw Hailey's smug smirk, her sad, tear filled eyes. The day he admitted his love for her replayed in his mind, followed by when she agreed to spend forever with him. Damon gasped, and sat down on his bed. He couldn't forget Hailey, he couldn't move on from her- she wouldn't let him.

Instead of fighting the memories, Damon closed his eyes and let them continue to play in his hand. He heard every laugh, heard her say not to say that he didn't care about her, and watched her make eyes at him at the founder's ball. He saw her undress for him the first time they had sex, and listened to her tell him in a tight voice that he would always love Katherine. The loop played all the way to the night they met. Damon saw that sexy smirk grace her lips, and knew that he wouldn't feel all this pain if it had never existed.

Damon's eyes flashed open, and he stood up. He started packing again, like his trip down memory lane had never happened, but he slipped his picture of Hailey into his bag. Suddenly, he heard a meow- a sad, heartbroken one. He turned around to see Ellie pad towards him.

It was the first time that the cat hadn't bolted from the room when he entered, and Damon suddenly found himself sympathizing with a cat. "You miss her too?" he whispered, as Ellie jumped up onto the bed.

She meowed and settled down onto his bag. "You can come with me, if you want. I think that Hailey would want me to make sure that you didn't starve to death," Damon mumbled, feeling stupid and crazy for talking to a cat.

But Ellie wasn't just any cat- she was Hailey's familiar. The cat purred and rubbed against his arm. Suddenly, Damon was glad that he was taking Ellie with him. Hailey would've wanted him to.

Feeling the urge to leave grow stronger, Damon hurried up with his packing. He was interrupted when Stefan knocked on his door. "I'm going to take Elena home and then… and then I'm going to bury her," he told Damon quietly. Not even Stefan could bear to say Hailey's name.

Waves of pain washed over Damon. He wanted to tell Stefan not to bury Hailey, in case there was any small chance that she might come back. But the dead fairy was just decomposing in their basement, she wasn't going to wake up. Ever.

"You're going to be gone by the time I get back, aren't you?" Stefan asked suddenly, noticing the bags.

"That's the plan," Damon answered after a short pause.

Stefan nodded, expecting Damon to take off as soon as he walked into the boarding house with Hailey's body in his arms. "I'm so, so sorry Damon, that you lost her. You don't deserve to have this happen to you, and neither did Hailey," Stefan told him quietly. Both brothers flinched when Stefan said Hailey's name.

Damon didn't respond, and Stefan left his brother be. He didn't want him to leave necessarily, but he thought that it might do Damon some good, not to have memories of Hailey haunt him everywhere he went, and that would happen in Mystic Falls.

Ten minutes later, Damon was almost done packing, when suddenly, Ellie started hissing madly at the door.

"Where are you going?"

Every fiber of Damon's being froze at that voice. He believed that he would never hear it again, and he was sure that he was just imagining it. Slowly, Damon turned around to see a person that he never thought he'd see again.

Hailey Ellis.

*Hailey*

I gasped loudly, as air filled up my lungs. My body felt stiff as I sat up. There was a pounding in my head, and everything felt… different. At first, I had no idea what had happened to me. Then my fingers brushed over the bullet hole in my chest, and I remembered.

I was dead.

I shook my head slightly, as I looked around the small, dark room that I was in. I recognized it as the basement of the boarding house. How did I get there? The last place I remembered being was in the woods, bleeding to death.

I was dead, my mother shot me. Yet, I _felt _alive. I didn't feel like a ghost at all. I ran a hand over my face, when it suddenly occurred to me.

I was in transition.

I shook my head slightly, wondering how it had happened. I didn't remember drinking any vampire blood, but I was sure that I was transitioning into a vampire. My eyebrows furrowed, and my gaze wandered to the ring on my finger. My eyes widened suddenly, as things that Victoria had told me came back to me.

_"It's as old as the original fairies. Witches created it, to block out some of the darker magic from the fairy wearing it. It's composed of magic, vervain, and vampire blood," _Victoria had told me about my ring.

Vampire blood…

I knew that you needed to ingest vampire blood in order to become one, but would wearing vampire blood work too?

"_You would come back Hailey; they always find a way to come back," _Victoria had told me, while explain why she needed the knife to kill me.

My ring had turned me into a vampire, it had saved me from being completely dead. But mostly, it got me back my forever with Damon.

Suddenly, my desire- more like need- to see Damon hit me like a train. It was almost unbearable. It was like I loved Damon even more, being in transition. Turning into a vampire amplified your feelings and personality, it must've amplified my love for Damon.

I got up slowly, trying to take in my body changes one at a time. My teeth ached, and my body felt stiff and sore. I was starving, like I had the munchies. I was definitely changing into a vampire.

I made my way out of the basement and up into the living room. It was empty, and I was worried that no one was home. I needed to see Damon, I needed to be in his arms. I was sure that Damon, Stefan, and Elena thought that I was dead, and I couldn't continue to let them think that. As I walked through the living room and towards the stairs, I suddenly passed through a patch of sunlight. I grimaced, as it hit me like I had a hangover. The sun wouldn't burn me, but I would still be sensitive to it.

I slowly walked up the stairs, nervous yet impatient to see Damon at the same time. I heard soft noises coming from our bedroom, and stood outside of the door for a few seconds, before pushing it open. I saw Ellie on the bed, growling at me. But the person in front of me was the one that held my attention.

Damon had his back to me, and his posture was crooked, like he could barely stand. I barely noticed the bags on our bed as I took him in. but then I noticed them a second time, and my eyebrows furrowed.

"Where are you going?" I blurted out.

I watched Damon stiffen at my voice, before slowly turning around to face me. When his blue eyes focused on me, I melted. I felt content, just standing there while he gazed at me like I was a ghost. But then, I was suddenly pinned to a wall by my neck.

"Damon-" I choked out. "It-it's me!"

He let go of me just as suddenly, and backed away like I had leprosy. "I'm insane," he muttered, as Ellie continued to growl.

"You're not crazy," I assured him. I just wanted to be in his arms.

"You're dead," he snapped bluntly, before flinching at his own words.

"So are you," I retorted.

"What?" he breathed, his eyes wide. Damon started walking subconsciously towards me.

"I'm turning into a vampire," I told him bluntly, before holding up my ring. "Apparently, Victoria forgot to mention that if you die while wearing this ring, you'll turn into a vampire."

He just stared at me, taking in all of my words. I shifted impatiently, before running into his arms, not being able to take it any longer. He wrapped his arms around me tightly, hugging me as close as he could to him. I buried my face in his chest, while Damon rested his head on top of mine. We stayed like that for a long time, and I was too content to move away.

"If you ever do that to me again, I'll kill you myself," Damon mumbled into my hair.

I smiled softly into his chest, before pulling away to kiss him. It was needier than I intended it to be, but Damon didn't seem to mind. His arms snaked around my waist, hugging my even closer to him. The kiss suddenly turned passionate and lustful, and I tugged at Damon's shirt. He helped me remove his shirt, before ripping my own off. That's when I remembered the bullet in my chest. It didn't hurt, but it felt really uncomfortable.

I pulled away, and Damon frowned. I gestured to the bullet in my chest, and he smirked slightly. I was glad to notice that there was life back in his eyes, that they weren't dead anymore. "Need help with that?" he asked.

"Yes please," I said with a playful grin, before sitting down on the bed. Ellie stopped hissing, but she still kept a distance between the two of us.

"Ow!" I whined, as Damon tried to get the bullet out of my chest with a pair of tweezer-like things.

"Stop moving and it won't hurt," he told me, before pulling it out. I hissed a little, and stared down at the whole in my chest.

"It'll heal when you complete the change," Damon reassured me, before pulling me into his arms ago. Damon didn't seem to want to let me go, like I might disappear again if I wasn't in his arms. I didn't mind it though, I wanted to let him go as much as he wanted to let me go.

"I'm starving," I mumbled into his shoulder after a while, and Damon chuckled slightly.

"Let's go fix that," he told me, before grabbing my hand and pulling me out of our room. Damon pulled me down to the basement, to the cooler where he kept all of the bags of blood. He pulled one out, and my mouth watered at the sight of it.

"Are you sure about this, Hailey?" Damon asked, opening the bag for me. We both knew that he would force me to complete the change if he had to.

I smiled up at him, and kissed him quickly. "Very," I assured him, before taking the bag of blood. I wanted this just as much as he did.

I hesitantly put the bag of blood to my lips, and took a long gulp. Suddenly, fangs poked out of my mouth, my eyes turned red, and the veins under my eyes darkened.

I was a vampire.

**The end**

_**~LMF~**_

**A/N: **thank you a million times to every single reviewer for this story. Thank you to every reader and ever favorite and alert add. It means a lot for your support.

I couldn't kill Hailey, it was never a possibility. I'm a believer in happily ever afters.

I mentioned in an earlier chapter that I had surprises. The first and probably most exciting one is that there _will _be a sequel. I never intended there to be one, but I've grown too attached to this story. I'm going to be co-writing it with vdemily, and if she hadn't offered there definitely wouldn't be one. I can't promise that the sequel will be as long or as regularly updated as LMF, though. I don't know when I'll be posting it, I don't even have a title for it. Also, because there's going to be a sequel, there isn't going to be an epilogue.

The second surprise, is that I'm going to be writing a prequel for this story. A long time ago, I mentioned writing a story about the original fairies, and I decided to go for it. It will be an Elijah/OC and Klaus/OC love story. It has the tentative title True Love Never Dies, and I expect it to be out next week, maybe.

Again, thank you for all of the support. I hope you're looking forward to the sequel and prequel!

~Abby :D


	66. author's note: sequel

Just so everyone knows, the sequel is up! It's called Eternal Love.

Also, the prequel to this story, called True Love Never Dies- about the original fairies- is up too. It's been up for almost a month.

So, go check both of them out, if you're interested :)

~Abby!


End file.
